Right On Target
by UltimateBethylFicList
Summary: Beth is at her wits end with her son. She needs to find an outlet for him to get rid of that excess energy. Daryl is paying back a favor when he agreed to teach an archery class. What's in store for when these two meet? 3rd Place Best Happily Ever After for 2016 Moonshine Awards
1. Chapter 1

**Here I am again, with a brand new story. I got the idea from a prompt on BethylPrompts (tumblr) and I wanted to post this for Bethyl AU Week (bethylnetwork - tumblr).**

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Beth was impatiently waiting in the hard, wooden chair for the principal to call her in. She had to take off early from work to make this appointment and the man was running ten minutes late already. She started tapping her foot on the cracking, linoleum floor. She looked up to see the school's secretary giving her an evil glare from her desk. Beth sighed and stopped, not wanting to make anyone else angry at this point.

The call from the principal came as no surprise. He never gave a specific reason, only that they needed to discuss her son's behaviour. He was six years old but already becoming a little hellion. She wondered what happened to her cute, innocent little boy who loved to snuggle and sing along with his momma. Once he started kindergarten, she saw his attitude start to change and him acting out more and more. It was frustrating, but she hoped that it was just because he was getting used to a new schedule.

He had only been in the first grade for five weeks when she got the call and here she was. She tried asking him what the problem could be and he just ignored her and continued to destroy the Lego structures he had just finished building. He was getting harder to communicate with and Beth wished at this point that her parents were still alive to help her out. Growing up she never talked back to either of her parents, too afraid of getting a spanking. All efforts proved futile with her son, as he just walked away without a care in the world.

Finally the door to the principal's office opened and a young child stepped out with the principal right behind him. The child made his way over to the secretary, picked up a slip of paper and made his way back to class. Beth locked eyes with the principal, hoping to convey that she wasn't impressed being left waiting.

"Mrs. Greene?" he nodded to her, expecting her to just follow him into his office. Beth got up, grabbing her bag from beside her and stood by the doorway.

"It's Ms. Greene." she corrected him. He gestured for her to take a seat in the chair across from him, and he went to sit behind his desk.

"I apologize for running behind, kids don't know how to wait to be mischievous," he deadpanned, clearly not amused he had to reprimand children all day.

Beth began to wonder if this man even enjoyed his job, and what he was doing in a place like this.

"I asked to meet with you because we seem to have a problem with Chase and his attitude in class."

Beth sighed, knowing exactly where this was going. "I know he's a little rambunctious, but he's always been attentive at least."

"His teacher says that, although he listens and is respectful to her, he is disruptive to his classmates and seems to encompass a lot of excess energy. He always needs to get out of his chair and walk around the classroom."

"I figured that most children don't like to be sitting in a chair for hours at a time. He's always been an active boy."

"His attitude has also been a problem lately. He's very quiet, doesn't participate and when his teacher does call upon him, he seems to make things more difficult by drawing out responses."

"You just said he was respectful?" Beth interjected.

"He doesn't talk back to or negate her, but he does carry a negative attitude," He responded.

"So what do I do then?"

"I want to know more about his home life. What types of activities you have him in?" He sat back in chair, crossing his fingers on his lap as he waited for her to answer.

"His home life is normal. We live in a good community, he eats healthy, he doesn't play violent video games or watch too much TV. I have him enrolled in swimming class once a week."

"Does he play sports? Or have any other activities?"

"No, money is tight since it's just the two of us. I can't afford to put him into sports." Beth admitted, slightly embarrassed.

"Your son has excess energy that he needs to work off. The attitude can be adjusted over time with some counseling through the school, but the energy might need medication."

"I don't want my son on medication." Beth firmly stated.

"Unless you find an outlet for him, then we may have to look into that. I already think he needs some after school sessions with the counselor to discuss his attitude problems." Beth sighed again as she tried to keep her emotions in check. Everything was tight enough as it was; she couldn't afford to put her son into sports.

"We'll see how he's doing in the next month and decide from there what the next steps would be. His teacher seems to be able to control him for the time being, but if he gets to be too much, we may have to look into specialized classes for him."

"I understand," Beth said, getting up from her seat. She grabbed her bag and waited for the principal to open the door. He knew that she was upset. He wasn't that much of an asshole, but she was helpless right now and just wanted to get her son and go home already.

"Have a good day, Ms. Greene," he called to her from his office and closed the door immediately.

Beth went over to the secretary and asked her if she could take her son out of class. There were only another thirty minutes left of school anyways so it wasn't that big of a deal. She told Beth which class to go to and her son would be ready in a few minutes.

During the minutes it took to get to his class and wait for him at the door, Beth tried to think of the best way to approach this. She worried if she gave him a choice, he would choose not to. But if she forced him, he might push back and not want to do it. He was so hard to read these days, that she had to try and get him in a good mood before she sprung this on him.

Chase seemed happy to get out of school but kept quiet as they walked to her car. He threw his bag in the backseat, climbed into his booster and buckled himself up. It was a good thing he was so self sufficient now, because he was a nightmare when she tried to buckle him up herself.

The drive home was quiet, as Beth was trying to think of possible sports she could afford. Soccer or baseball seemed like the best choices but the costs were always high and there were so many practices and games, she wasn't sure if that would work with her schedule.

As they stopped at a red light, Beth noticed a bus bench with an advertisement for the YMCA - YWCA. She remembered going there as a child, taking various classes with her sister and having a good time. With a full time farm, and three children, finances were always tight for her parents so she assumed it couldn't cost that much.

Looking into the rear view mirror, she caught a glance of Chase in the backseat, absently staring out the window. Beth knew she needed to do something for her son and this might be the sign she was waiting for.

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Once Chase was off in his room for the night, Beth grabbed her laptop and searched the local YMCA for what it offered. There was a centre that specialized in Youth and Teen activities so she figured that was probably for the best. They had the usual soccer, football, baseball and even tennis, but she was worried about the cost. There was no pricing on the website so she would probably have to go down there on her lunch hour or something.

She noticed a class coordinator name and number and wrote it down on a piece of paper. It was late enough and the lady was probably home for the day. She would call during her first break and see if she could get more information over the phone, or if she would have to go down there.

She looked over her bank account before shutting down for the night. Her savings account still had some funds in it, although it had depleted considerably over the past six years. She had inherited a lot after her father's passing. Neither her sister or her wanted to take over the farm. With the life insurance paid out after their mother and brother's horrific car accident and the sale of the house and land, she and Maggie walked away with quite a bit. It was several years later when she became pregnant that her share dwindled down to barely a fraction of the original amount.

Fresh out of a relationship, and no help from the father, she needed to get her life in order and fast. She bought their house, in cash and was glad she didn't have to worry about a mortgage payment. With the leftover money, she was able to take care of Chase full-time, and not worry about working. At four, he went to preschool a couple days a week, and Beth was able to find a job at the library. Kindergarten, with his half days, Beth was able to work even more and now that he was in school full time, she could work full-time like she had always promised.

She was lucky that the librarian seemed to take a liking to her, understanding the difficulties of a single mother. Carol left her abusive husband while her daughter was quite young, and made it work for them. She saw bits of herself in Beth and was willing to help her out. Her daughter Sophia was old enough to babysit, which allowed Beth to take some evening shifts.

If it wasn't for Carol's generosity, Beth knew she would have never made it, and she would have had to make the long move to Minnesota to be with Maggie and her husband Glenn. It's not that she didn't love her family, she did. She just wanted to prove to everyone that she could do this. This was her choice in the end after all.

Getting into bed, she thought about her day and the things she needed to do for Chase. She loved her son but there were times like this, when she really wished that she had some extra help.

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Beth grabbed the slip of paper she wrote on the night before from her purse along with her cellphone, went to the staff office and sat down to make the call. She really hoped that this lady could come up with some alternate suggestions for her, something that would help her and not cost a lot of money.

She dialed the number and waited for the ringing to commence. It was only two rings before someone picked up.

"YMCA, Lori Grimes speaking," the bright voice over the phone spoke. Beth hesitated, not entirely sure what she was supposed to say.

"Hi, my name is Beth Greene and I was looking for some information on the classes and activities you have to offer," Beth rolled her eyes at herself. There was no confidence in her voice, and she probably sounded like a kid.

"Absolutely Beth, can you tell me if there was something in particular you're interested in?" If this woman thought any less of Beth, then she certainly didn't sound like it. She was calm and cheerful and it almost felt reassuring to her.

"Well, it's actually for my six year old son, Chase. He's a little high energy and his school seems to think he needs some extra activities to calm him down."

"Say no more. I have a teenage son myself, and he was a little firecracker when he was about that age. Do you currently have him in anything?" Lori asked.

"Just swimming class. My budget is a little tight so I was hoping for something that wouldn't cost too much."

"Let me see what we have coming up," Lori paused and Beth could hear her rummaging through some papers. "There's some dance classes that aren't terrible."

"Yeah, I don't think he would be willing to dance. He's got a little bit of an attitude problem too. I hate to think of the things he'd say about boys in dance class."

"Understandable. Let's see what else. Ahhh!" she exclaimed. "Now this class is free, but I'm not sure how you would feel about it."

"If it's free, I'm gonna be pretty open minded," Beth replied, suddenly hoping it wasn't anything too crazy.

"We're trying out archery lessons. We have a family friend who is willing to teach a small group of kids. He will also be doing some survival based skills and taking them out to the woods, again free of charge. Is your son outdoorsy?"

"Well, we've never gone camping, but he definitely loves being outside. I think he would really take with archery; that kid has impeccable aim."

"Well, I will sign him up. Not many parents think it's safe for a young child to be holding such a deadly weapon, but I can assure you that the teacher is very knowledgeable with safety," Lori assured her. Beth wasn't that worried. She figured they wouldn't allow just anyone to teach a class like this so she put some trust in these strangers.

Lori took the rest of the information and told her the classes started the following week and would run about ten weeks. Depending on interest, they would see if things would continue on after or not. Beth hoped that Chase would be okay with this and that he would give things a chance. She'd hate to go back to his principal and look like a failure.

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 **Thanks for reading and please review**


	2. Chapter 2

**Big thanks to Brandy, Carla and Abby for helping me out with this story.**

 **I'm ecstatic to see such a response from you guys. Hopefully you'll enjoy where I take this story.**

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Daryl woke up with the sun blaring through the thin sheet that hung over the window. He sighed, damning that internal clock of his that always had him wake at the break of dawn. Now that they had entered the fall, the days were getting shorter so he could sleep in an extra few minutes everyday, but after last night, he wished he could just sleep the rest of the day away.

He rubbed his eyes, feeling those little eye crunchies on his fingers. He shouldn't have gone out with Merle the night before, but his brother had finally kept a job for longer than three months and he dubbed it a good idea to celebrate. Of course, celebration to Merle Dixon involved copious amounts of alcohol and closing down the bar they were in. By the time they crashed inside of the old trailer, it was closer to three and now it could barely be seven.

He was happy that he didn't have to work today, but he did remember that it was his first day of teaching an archery and wilderness class for Lori. He flopped back in his bed, wishing he had the power to say no to that woman, but Rick had done Daryl such a big favor with Merle that Daryl owed the sheriff back, and if Dixons were good for one thing, it was paying back favors and promises.

The other thing they were good at was avoiding people, or at least Daryl was. He wasn't the social butterfly that Merle was; he much preferred to nurse a beer and observe his surroundings. He was so used to being on alert; it just became second nature to him, to blend into the background and not be noticed. It wasn't the best way to live a life, but it seemed to work for him.

He sighed and got up, knowing he wanted to set up the grounds for his class beforehand and possibly think of a reason why this was a bad idea. As he grabbed his towel and made his way to the bathroom, he saw Merle sprawled out on the couch, passed out and dead to the world. He shook his head, and made his way to the bathroom to get ready for the day.

Even though Daryl was making noise with the drawers of his dresser, closing bedroom doors, and making a quick breakfast for himself, Merle never stirred. Daryl always figured his brother could sleep through anything and this just went to prove it. He figured by the time he got back, Merle would probably be gone and back at his own place. Daryl has a small metal trailer that barely fit himself, so Merle had to fend for himself by sharing an apartment with some other random, just out of jail guys. It made sense as Merle was in and out himself, and Daryl sometimes wished he and Merle could live together, so he could keep an better eye on his brother. That was how this whole teaching mess started.

Merle was fresh out of prison from a 18 month stint, and shortly after, he was caught stealing from a nearby bar. Rick came to Daryl and told him the situation. Rick was willing to help out a friend, but if it happened again, Merle would be violating his probation and be back in jail. Daryl made sure the money went back and got Merle a job at a warehouse, moving boxes around. When Lori found out about it, she was livid.

She was never a fan of Merle, and the fact that her husband had covered for him instead of sending his ass back to prison just increased the hatred for him. Daryl, trying to help out his best friend, told Lori he would make it up to her and now, here he was.

When he arrived at the YMCA on his motorcycle, he was surprised to see Lori arriving at the same time. She typically didn't work on Saturdays, instead wanting to stay home with Rick and the kids, so he was a little confused to see her.

She carried her travel mug of coffee in her hand and some paperwork in the other as she strolled right up. He was gathering his crossbow and bag when she finally made it to him.

"I don't want to admit that I was worried about you not showing up today, but I was a little anxious getting up this morning," Lori conceded.

"Don't break promises," Daryl murmured. "That why you're here? Making sure I showed up?"

"Well, I have four kids signed up so I didn't want to leave them stranded if you didn't," Lori started, walking into the building with Daryl following after her. "Most of them are older, twelve and thirteen, but I do have a six year old, with his mother's permission."

"Must be crazy," he gripped.

"Isn't that when you were learning how to shoot?" Lori challenged with an arched eyebrow. Daryl said nothing but put his bag down in her office. "It's ten classes, and if you're so against it, then I won't ask you again. But don't forget, you offered to help."

This was the thing that he liked about Lori—she's always been able to call him out on his shit and he respected that. Most people he grew up around just ignored him and let him do his thing. Lori pushed him out of his shell little by little, and when he was being an ass, she wasn't afraid to let him know it.

"We still using the back field?" Daryl asked anxiously, wanting to get this over with.

"Yeah, I had some of the pool staff block off an area and put safety signs around like you requested. You just need to setup the targets and grab the equipment from the gym room," Lori gave him a key to get the things he would need. He left the room silently and gathered his equipment.

He already inspected the small bows and they weren't terrible, just older. They were probably still better than the pieces of crap he used when he was younger so he couldn't complain. The field had been set up exactly like Lori had said and he set up the stands with the targets on them only about fifteen feet away. He placed one of them only ten feet away for the smaller kid, since he probably had no upper body strength yet and he didn't want to overwhelm him. He felt content with how things were set up and he remained busy getting the bows ready with the safety arrows and fingers guards.

Before he knew it, he heard Lori's voice carrying over the field and he looked up to see her leading a group of people over. He saw all boys in his group, teenagers with no parents with them. Then a young boy, practically sprinting to where he stood, and who he assumed to be the little boy's mother, talking with Lori. He stood up from his crouched position to get things started.

"Daryl, I got your group for you. This is Josh, Elliott, Michael, and Chase. This is Chase's mother, Beth. I told her she could watch over the class and keep an eye on Chase due to his age," Lori confirmed to Beth.

"Don't need my mom," Chase muttered as he went to grab the bow off the ground.

"Chase, don't touch anything until your teacher says you can," Beth spoke sternly. He watched the small boy stand up straight and drop the bow from his hand. He refused to move from his spot and would not look back at his mother. His mother just looked embarrassed that she has to yell at her child in front of complete strangers, but she had a point.

"I'll leave you guys be, but if you need anything Daryl, just call me on the walkie-talkie," Lori handed over the small electronic to him and he attached it to his pant loop. She gave Beth's shoulder a little squeeze and left the group to it.

"Okay guys, I'm Daryl and I'll be teaching ya 'bout archery and outdoor skills. Any of you been camping before?" The teenagers all raised their hands which Daryl nodded at. He looked over at Chase, to see him looking at Daryl.

"You a boy scout?" Chase asked with scrunched eyes, not quite sure what to think of this man in front of him.

"Nah, just grew up in the woods. Learned to shoot a bow and hunt when I was just a little older than you," Chase's eyes grew in wonder. At that point, Daryl figured he had the boy's attention and hopefully wouldn't be a problem for the remainder of the hour.

He got into his lesson quickly after that, showing his group all the different parts of the bow, how to be safe and hold the thing, and how to pull back and shoot. He got everyone to spread out in front of a target and they each took turns trying. The older kids just couldn't get the arrow sitting correctly and it just fell at their feet. Chase, he could barely keep the thing together, which only lead to more frustration.

He helped each of them out, nocking the arrow and placing it on the arrow rest. It took a few tries but finally they were all getting the hang of it and their arrows were actually landing a few feet away from them.

When Daryl stood behind Chase, helping him pull the string back, he felt Chase relax and breathe softly. The other kids had been anxious and nervous but Chase seemed calmer, as he was finally improving. Daryl let go and told him to take the shot when he was ready. He saw Chase take a few breaths and let go. He watched the arrow sail through the air and hit the target, no more than inch from the bullseye.

Daryl couldn't believe the kid got that close after just learning less than an hour ago. He looked over to Beth and could see the amazement in her own eyes. She was sitting on the grass, just a few feet back from where they were practicing but she saw the entire thing transpire as he did.

"Mom, I hit it!" Chase jumped up, clearly excited about his accomplishment.

"Oh my goodness Chase, that was amazing," Beth clapped from her seat. "I'm so proud of you!"

"Good job, kid," Daryl said, wanting to focus on the others. "We'll try that again in a minute,"

By the end of the class, the others had made their shots too, although none could get as close as Chase did. Daryl even moved the targets a little closer and still Chase was inching closer and closer to that middle circle. Daryl couldn't help but feel some pride, having never taught anyone before, and now he had four kids who at least know the basics.

"You guys all did great today. Guess we'll see ya next week," Daryl said proudly. He felt a burst of confidence in himself after this class and he figured it really wasn't all that bad. The three older boys made their way back to the community center while Chase was looking at the equipment.

"Have you ever seen someone that young do that before?" Beth asked, clearly still amazed at her son't talent. Daryl was taken back by her voice and how young and pretty it sounded. He then chastised himself for finding a girl like her pretty. This wasn't the time or the place to be thinking that.

"Apart from myself, no," Daryl chuckled. "Kid's a natural."

"I've never seen him this composed and attentive before. He's usually bored out of his mind at this point," Beth complimented him, or at least he thought it was a compliment. He wasn't really sure what to say and he was happy when the little guy interrupted.

"Mr. Daryl, do you hunt animals with this bow?"

"Nah, I got a crossbow I use. I left it inside, but I'll bring it next week," Chase's eyes grew in wonderment at that promise and was happy to take his mother's hand as they made their way back to the building.

"I guess we'll be seeing you next week then?" Beth asked hesitantly. "I mean, you don't mind me tagging along to this thing?"

"I got no problem with it. Probably safer and stuff," Daryl mumbled. Beth nodded and walked along with Chase. Chase waved his hand towards Daryl and started absently talking about the shots he made, and Beth just agreed with him. There was something about that little boy that made Daryl think of himself when he was younger. He obviously had a mother who cared about him but there seemed to be something missing in that kid's life. Daryl wouldn't worry about it; it wasn't like the kid meant anything to him anyways.

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 **Updates will take place on Saturday and Tuesday.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you to all those who reviewed and favorited during the last chapter. Truly blessed to have this many people enjoying the story so far.**

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For an entire week, all Chase could talk about was his archery lesson. He was so proud of himself for hitting the target and for being as good as the older kids. It really boosted his confidence.

Beth also noticed him talking about his teacher, Daryl. It truly was amazing how much you could talk about someone that you spent an hour with. Perhaps it was the fact that Daryl really took the time with him and he wasn't someone of authority in her son's life. It pained her that he didn't have a male role model in his life and of course, he would latch on to the first man who ever did. It wasn't like she had a choice in the matter. Men were heartless bastards in Beth's eyes.

Her father and brother were truly amazing men but they both left her way earlier than she ever thought. Maggie's husband Glenn was a nice man but he pulled Maggie away from her to Minnesota. And Zach, well, he was the biggest asshole of them all. Cheating on her with her now ex-best friend was the lowest of the low. It was after him, that Beth swore men off from her life. It must have been a cruel joke from God that her child was a boy. She someone hoped that he could right the wrongs of those before him.

With Chase speaking so much about Daryl, it did make Beth think about him more. He was incredibly handsome and broke the mold of men that Beth was usually interested in. Daryl was rugged and rough around the edges. He didn't speak much, but you could see the enthusiasm in his eyes and voice when he spoke about hunting and archery. It was actually nice to see someone enjoy themselves in a work setting, instead of complaining about it.

She wondered what he did for a living. He was offering this class free, so he must work during the week. He was very muscular and tan so it wouldn't surprise her if he worked outside. He wore a sleeveless plaid button up, with an angel wing vest over top, and Beth could see that he either worked out, or was into manual labour. As much as Chase was looking forward to his next lesson, Beth sort of was too. It was the first time in seven years that she actually felt something for a man. She knew she would never act on it, as she wasn't looking for a boyfriend in all this. Her priority was Chase and her own needs would just have to suffice with herself

When Friday rolled around and Beth picked up Chase from school, he told her there was a note inside his backpack for her. Beth had received plenty of notes from his teacher already so she could only imagine what this could be about. She was actually plenty surprised to read what it said.

 _Ms. Greene_

 _I am elated to say that I have seen a vast improvement in Chase's attitude the past week. I was made aware of your meeting with Mr. Wallace and the conditions that needed to be met. I can happily report that his attitude has improved tremendously and he's less disruptive in class. He still needs to focus more on his studies but I think we are at least on the right path._

 _I will make sure to pass this along to Mr. Wallace and I hope that these changes continue for Chase._

 _Mrs. Schneider_

Beth nearly dropped the spoon as she was stirring the pasta sauce. Chase had improved in a week's time? That seemed impossible. She looked over at her son, who was playing with some toys on the kitchen table.

"Chase, how was school this week?" Beth asked. He mumbled something along the lines of fine and continued on playing. Beth sighed. It was always hard to get him to talk about boring things like school, but she was determined to see what had changed in him. "Did you tell any of your friends about your archery lessons?"

Chase's head perked up and that smile of his beamed from his face. "Yeah. They were really jealous of me cause I got to shoot an arrow and that I hit the target. They didn't believe me that I did it before the other kids."

"Well, they should cause I saw it with my own two eyes," Beth praised him.

"Daryl saw me do it too. If they don't wanna believe me, then maybe he can come tell them,"

"Maybe your friends would want to join next time if they offer this class again,"

"Nah, I like being the only kid who gets to do this." Beth giggled at his statement. He did like being the centre of attention most times, which also caused him to distract other people in inappropriate moments. It wasn't always embarrassing, but she certainly couldn't go back to church anytime soon.

"Well after supper, we can watch a movie and then get you to bed early. We gotta go grocery shopping in the morning before your lesson."

"Sure mom," he said, getting back to his toys.

That was something else she noticed. He wasn't putting up a fuss over every little thing she asked him to do. Bath time was still a chore and getting him in the morning was a headache, but he was listening the first time around and Beth found she wasn't raising her voice as much anymore.

She would have to test this theory for a few more weeks, but this class may have been exactly what he needed.

* * *

Once Beth had the car parked, Chase unbuckled himself and jumped out of the car and went full speed towards the practice area. Beth could tell he was ready to go since that morning. He was a ball of energy at breakfast and all through grocery shopping. He even offered to help her put things away, if it meant they could leave sooner.

She could see that Daryl was already out there, so she casually strolled over to where they were. Daryl was crouched down to Chase's level and was showing him the crossbow he promised to bring. Beth could see that sense of wonderment in her son's eyes again and that warming feeling in her heart started up again.

Daryl nodded in Beth's direction, as she made a place for herself on the ground again. It seemed Daryl was happy with Chase's progress and has all four targets setup at the same distance. It probably was a sense of accomplishment to him, as it was his students. She certainly would feel pride in herself if she was in his shoes.

She noticed that one of the other boy's father had joined. He stood on the other side of the field, watching his son and Daryl's interactions. The man's demeanor seemed a little off, as his arms were crossed over his chest and he seemed to be analyzing every little detail. Looks of judgement were passing over his face and Beth knew those well.

When she bumped into some old neighbours of her parents while she was six months pregnant, she could tell the way they judged her situation. No ring on her finger or man by her side. They even had the gall to ask where the father was in which Beth was honest; he wasn't in the picture.

Why this man had any right to judge Daryl and his teachings was beyond her. She made a mental note to keep watch on them, but she wanted to keep her focus on Chase.

Daryl was working with Chase now, showing him how to line up the shot, now that it was farther away, and taking the elements into account. He backed away so Chase could take the shot and he almost hit it in the bullseye. He was excited again and jumping up and down. Daryl gave him a pat on the shoulder and went on to the other kids.

It was amazing to watch how transfixed Chase was on Daryl. He listened to every word that man spoke, focused on his turn and waited patiently until it was his turn again. This was the most attentive Beth had ever seen her son and she knew that if they could make everything he did engaging, maybe he wouldn't act out so much.

Before long, the class was over with and the kids were sent on their way. The other boy's father went and spoke a few words to Daryl. She could tell he was being intrusive because Daryl could be seen standing up straighter and puffing out his chest a little more. It was a move that Beth could only describe as challenging. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but she could tell it wasn't a heated argument, and there seemed to be threat between them.

Once the man left with his son, Daryl seemed to relax a bit more and started cleaning up the area. Chase pulled on his mom's arm, wanting the attention.

"Could I go ask Daryl if it's okay if he shoots his crossbow? I want to see how it works," Beth nodded.

"Only if he says it's okay. Don't try and pressure him into it," Chase smiled and ran over to Daryl. He seemed to be okay with it and looked over at Beth. She nodded her head in accordance and went to sit back down on the ground.

Daryl showed Chase how to knock the bolt and pull it back. He let Chase try it but the kid could barely move the string. She watched Daryl's muscles flex as he pulled it back with all his strength and she could feel herself heat up from the action. His biceps were tight and bulging and she suddenly wished she could go in for a closer look. She shook her head and refocused herself on her little boy and not how good his instructor looked. Although the weather was changing, the man still wore a sleeveless shirt with that vest and Beth could only wonder if the elements even bothered him. She certainly felt warmer in the sweater she was wearing.

Daryl shot his bolt and Chase just smiled at him. "That's so cool," he shouted. He looked back at Beth. "Can I get one mom?"

"When you're an adult, you can do whatever you want," she answered him. She giggled and got up from her spot. "We gotta' get going Chase."

"Alright," Chase mumbled and looking to Daryl. "I'll see you next week Daryl," he waved to the older man and made his way to his mother. Daryl gave a little wave and continued cleaning up. Chase was full of excitement and would have another week full of stories to share with her and his friends.

After getting him in the car, Beth noticed Lori waving to her from the front doors and she started making her way towards the car.

"I wanted to see how things are going with the class. Daryl says that Chase's a natural with the bow."

"He really is. It was a little shocking but it seems like he was born with the talent." Beth said proudly.

"That's great to hear. I hope Daryl is good as a teacher. It's his first time."

"Really? He seems like he's done this before"

"No. He works construction during the week and hunts on the weekends."

"Well it seems my son isn't the only one with a natural talent," Beth giggled. Lori laughed as well.

"It took a lot of convincing to get Daryl to do this. He's more the strong, silent type,"

"I could see that. He doesn't say very much except for what he's teaching. But the kids understand him,"

"That's great!" Lori chimed with a smile. "I won't keep you any longer. Have a good night,"

"You too," Beth waved as she made her way into the car. Chase was happy and that made her even happier.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading and please a review of what you thought.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you to all those who favorites and reviewed last chapter. It is much appreciated.**

 **I've finished writing this story and it's going to be 12 chapters long. Hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

Daryl was working hard, laying the boards out to start framing the wall he was working on. He enjoyed his job, as it allowed his to have a change of scenery every few weeks and he only had to work four days a week.

He always had a good work ethic in life, knowing you had to work hard in order to earn your money. He was also about legitimate means and not the illegal dealings his brother was into. He earned decent pay and it kept him comfortable. He never wanted anything more, and he was able to live in his trailer and buy hunting equipment when he needed it. His biggest splurge was on his bike, which he took the utmost care of. He loved tinkering with the thing and cleaning all the chrome and metal. It was always his dream to have a bike, and he made sure that it became a reality.

That work ethic hadn't been passed onto Merle unfortunately. Although they had spent that one night celebrating his three month stint at his warehouse job, he disappeared after and Daryl could only assume he wasn't showing up to work. As much as cared for his brother, it was getting pretty frustrating to keep bailing him out. The things that Daryl had done previously to help his brother out, he would rather never discuss again.

Which brought him back to his current predicament. He usually had a one track mind while working: get it done. But lately, his mind had been wandering. He wasn't concerned with screwing something up, as he could do this shit in his sleep, but it was odd for him to be affected by a woman and her son.

Chase was an awesome kid, always wanting to learn more from Daryl. He was attentive and did exactly what he was told. Kid was lucky to have a mom who was willing to try something different. Most kids he knew growing up were playing football or soccer. He prefered the outdoors and hunting with his brother.

He, of course, noticed Chase's mother, Beth. She was young, but absolutely gorgeous. He was never one for dating, usually keeping to himself, but he still took notice to the opposite sex. He was still a man with needs and he occasionally indulged in the odd one night stand, or maintaining a woman in his life for a couple weeks if she was decent.

Beth was different though. She was the kind of girl that expected a relationship and that was something he just couldn't offer her. Or at least, he didn't think he could.

As the week went on, he grew more excited for this class that he was teaching. Maybe it was to see Chase, or maybe it was because of Beth. The other three boys he taught were okay, but definitely not memorable. They never showed the same enthusiasm that the youngest one did, but that could just be the age difference. Regardless, that Greene duo had caught his attention, and he started to wonder what could be.

* * *

Rick had invited Daryl over for dinner on Friday night, knowing that he wouldn't have anything planned. It was a running joke between them, that if Daryl didn't pick up his phone, it was because he was off hunting or in the bathroom. The man had zero social life and was generally easy to track down if needed.

Lori had made a delicious meal of meatloaf, potatoes and green beans. Daryl knew how to cook but he rarely went through the trouble of making anything too strenuous. He would eat leftovers for days then. He kept it simple and only made what he would need for his dinner and lunch the next day.

They were sitting around the table, talking about their work week; Carl already being excused so he could continue on a book report that was due on Monday. Judith was happily sitting in her high chair, playing around with the mashed potatoes and barely getting any in her mouth.

"Lori tells me your archery class is going well," Daryl grunted towards Rick in affirmation as he took another bite.

"You keepin' tabs on me?" Daryl asked with a sly grin on his face. Lori chuckled.

"Just wanted to make sure things ran smoothly. I'll be staying home this weekend so you don't need worry about me showing up randomly."

"Ain't worried bout you. Damn parents are pissing me off."

"Oh no! Beth said that everything was fine with her being there," Lori frowned.

"Ain't Beth that's the problem," Daryl spoke down to his plate, and Lori could see his ears start to turn red. She smiled and continued to prode.

"So who's causing issues?"

"Boy's dad, one of the older ones. Was asking my qualifications of teaching the class. 'Bout told him I could shoot his ass from across the field but didn't think you'd 'preciate it."

"Probably not, but if he keeps showing up, let me know," Lori stated. Daryl nodded and cleaned his mouth with the napkin provided. He sat back in his chair and took another swig of his beer.

"Beth seems to like you," Lori absently said which caused Daryl to choke on his beer slightly. She laughed slightly and corrected herself. "I mean as a teacher. She said you're a natural."

"Don't know about that."

"Chase was apparently causing issues in school and they made her enroll him into something."

"Don't seem like it, kid listens."

"You seem to be helping him out then. Well, both of them, really. If Chase was anything like Carl, we were both going insane," Lori said, looking at Rick.

"That's about when my hair started turning grey," Rick added with a smirk.

"Where's the kid's dad?" Daryl asked.

"Don't know. Her emergency contact is her boss and there was no father listed on the paperwork. I frankly don't know how she hasn't gone insane yet," Lori questioned.

"She's tough," It was a true statement. Daryl took notice to her and how protective she was of her son.

"She seems really sweet too," Lori said, looking directly at Daryl.

"What does that mean?"

"Means, maybe you should try and go on a date," Lori challenged. Daryl scoffed at the idea. He didn't have the first clue on what a real date entailed.

"Leave him alone, Lori. Man wants to keep to himself and die alone, then by all means, let him wither away to nothin," Rick joked. Daryl just squinted his eyes, baring daggers into Rick's head.

He continued to laugh.

* * *

Daryl could already tell that this class was going to be a lot harder. It was the third week and he wanted to push his students a little further. They trained a little with the bow but then he brought them to a little area to talk about survival. The four boys sat in a circle, while Daryl showed them the various leaves and berries that were okay and brought a sample of some poisonous.

Then, he brought out some rope and twigs and wanted them to learn some knots. The older boys caught on very easily but because of Chase's age, he was having some issues with dexterity and tying knots.

He could see that the more Chase tried, the more frustrated he was becoming. Daryl was all too familiar as he had a bit of a temper growing up, and he was trying his best to diffuse the situation. The teenagers weren't helping either. Josh was making snide comments to the other two, about how he probably wasn't even able to tie his shoes, let alone a knot for a snare.

Daryl was about to cuss the boys out when Chase beat him to it.

"I ain't a baby," he yelled, throwing his materials at them and stomping away. Beth, who was nearby, saw the outburst and went after her son.

"Chase, that was rude," Beth scolded him, as she started walking towards him. Chase spun around and glared at his mother.

"Stop treating me like a baby. Why did you even come? I'm big enough to be here by myself, and you keep ruining everything."

"Chase," Beth said sadly, not wanting to believe he would act out like this, after all the progress he had made.

"No, I don't need you!" He finished his outburst and ran back towards the field. Beth was about to run after him when Daryl stopped her. He placed his hand on her shoulder and followed after him.

"You boys can go back to the buildin', lesson's over today," Daryl scoffed and made his way towards the younger boy. He found him sitting at the targets, playing with grass. He looked back to see Beth hanging back and the older boys making their way back. He quietly made his way to where Chase was and sat down beside him, hanging his arms off his raised knees.

"If you're gonna yell at me, I don't wanna hear it," Chase mumbled.

"Wasn't the plan," they stayed in silence for a few minutes before Daryl got back up and grabbed the bow and arrows from his bag. He held them out for Chase to grab.

Chase looked up at him in confusion. Daryl figured he usually got things taken away from him when he was upset, not given things. The kid carefully got up and grabbed the bow from Daryl's hand. Daryl walked away until he was about ten feet away from the target. Chase followed him, as Daryl still held the arrows.

Once Chase was positioned correctly, Daryl handed him one arrow and stood back to let the child do his thing. He could see Chase visibly relax himself and steady his breathing. He pulled the string and let the arrow sail through the air and hit the target dead on. Instead of praising him, Daryl simply backed up another five feet and waited for Chase to follow him back there.

Daryl once again gave him an arrow and let him shoot. This went on another few times until they were back about thirty five feet. Chase was still hitting the bullseye, shot after shot, but now they were out of arrows. When you looked at the target, it was a bunch of arrows all settled together in the middle and that was something that even impressed Daryl. He held his hand out to Chase and waited for him to put the bow back in his hand.

"You got a talent kid," Daryl said, which only made Chase smile with pride. "Hate to see you waste it by being an ass."

"That's a bad word," Chase chastised him.

"Thought you weren't a baby," Daryl challenged him. Chase's smile dropped and he hung his head. "Can't have you throwing a tantrum when you get upset. Disrupts everyone."

"They were making fun of me," Chase defended himself.

"You let them get under your skin. You gotta act better than that," Daryl simply stated. Chase understood and nodded his head in agreement. "And you best never treat your momma like that ever again."

"I know."

"Nah, I don't think you do. She's busting her ass, trying to give you a good life, and when you say things like that, I don't think you deserve any of it."

Chase sighed deeply. "I just wish that it wasn't just her."

"Can't help it. I lost my mom about your age and my dad was a real piece. I would have given anything to have her back."

"Least you had a dad," Chase muttered and Daryl finally saw the pieces of the puzzle line up. This was the age where kids noticed differences in themselves compared to others. Daryl himself went through this when he was younger, with how poor his family was compared to other kids at his school. Chase's attitude was a direct link to how he viewed himself to others and it was a coping mechanism.

"I get where you're coming from kid. Don't give you an excuse to treat your one parent like shit."

"I guess."

"I don't know what your momma's gonna do to you, but I expect you to treat her a lot better than you did today. If you lash out again, I ain't gonna have you back then."

"But…"

"You best go and apologize to her and do something nice for her when you get home. She deserves it after you went and embarrassed her," Daryl looked into the boy's eyes and let him know he meant business. Rather than talk back, Chase got up and went straight to his mother, who was still standing off to the side. Daryl couldn't hear what was being said, but Chase hugged his mother from around her waist and Beth was biting her lip, trying to control her emotions. She gripped his arms, to hold him back, allowing her to kneel down to his level and she spoke a few words to him. He nodded his head and hugged her again, this time around the neck.

Daryl couldn't help but smirk and start cleaning up his area. He was content that he could set that boy straight and not let his attitude get in the way. He was just grabbing the last of the arrows when he heard a small voice clear their throat. He turned around and almost came face to face with Beth. He was slightly startled and backed up slightly.

"Sorry, I know you want to get going, but I wanted to say thank you for what you did," Beth rushed out, almost like she was nervous.

"Kid just needed some sense knocked into him," Daryl commented.

"I think he's just tired of hearing it from the usual people, so someone new might actually have a chance to get through to him."

"Just made him realize he was being an ass," Daryl said, trying to downplay what he did. He knew that he might have helped the situation, but he didn't want her to think it was only him.

"Well, I appreciate it none the less." Daryl just mumbled and went back to his work, leaving Beth to follow Chase to their car. He couldn't help but catch one final glimpse of them, walking hand and hand down the field. It made his heart beat a little faster and he wondered if maybe he was writing a life like that off for no reason.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading and please review.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed during that last chapter.**

 **Big thanks to Brandy, Carla and Abby for making sure this story makes sense!**

* * *

The weeks went on, and Beth noticed the difference in Chase every single week. She met again with the principal, and he was happy to report that whatever she had done was working, and that Chase was becoming an exemplary student. Beth knew that these lessons were doing wonders for her son and she was getting anxious as they were now coming to a close.

It was the last week of the lessons and so far, there was no word on whether Daryl would be continuing them. Now that the weather was getting colder, and it was early December, it was time to get ready for the holidays and stay warm.

Chase had done amazing through the past weeks and could hit a target, dead-on, from fifty feet away. Archery was all he could talk about, and Beth had already priced out a small archery set for him as his Christmas gift. She had to thank Daryl as he at least told her what would be suitable for a child his age.

She had really gotten to know Daryl better over this time. Chase was always wanting to learn more from Daryl and Beth liked to stick around and listen to Daryl talk about outdoor survival. They also had some good talks while he sent his students out to search for specific leaves or tracks. She learned about his job and how he liked to go hunting on his days off. She spoke about her job at the library and her sister in Minnesota.

The one thing they never talked about was Chase's father and Beth was glad she didn't have to explain herself. She hated when people judged her for her decisions and it made her happy to know that Daryl couldn't care less. He genuinely liked to spend time with her and her son. Well, she assumed he did.

He was still very shy but he always gave a small smirk when she came around. Her heart did the pitter patter in her chest and she began to think about what a nice little unit the three of them were. He seemed to adore Chase and was always willing to teach him and listen to him jabber on about the kid's experiences. Beth hadn't opened herself up to a man since Zach and she wondered if now would be the time.

When they made their way to the field, for their last lesson, Beth made sure they arrived a few minutes early so that she could give a small present to Daryl. It was nothing much but she still wanted to show her appreciation.

Daryl was already there, his arms covered by a thick flannel. His angel wing vest was still on, which Beth enjoyed looking at. It was certainly a piece that he took pride in and meant a lot to him. She was nervous about seeing him and offering him the small gift. Chase on the other hand, was not, and ran right up to Daryl with the same enthusiasm he had at the first lesson.

Beth came up behind him, the small tin in her hands, and Daryl gave his signature smirk when he saw her. She smiled back at him and gave a little nod in hello. She showed him the tin in her hands and thrust it towards him.

"A little something to say thanks for this class," Beth explained when Daryl looked at her in confusion. He grabbed the container and opened the lid. Inside was an assortment of cookies and chocolate treats.

"Didn't have to do this Beth," he said, looking back into her eyes.

"I know, but I was doing the baking anyways. Think of it as an early Christmas present," Beth couldn't help but giggle at her statement. She was still feeling the nerves, and she knew it wasn't just because of her gift.

"Thanks," Daryl said, going to his bag and placing the tin inside. She went to her usual spot on the grounds, this time with a blanket to keep her bottom half warm from the colder weather. The other boys arrived and the final class started.

Beth adored watching Chase. He was able to showcase his talent and she made sure to praise him at every chance she could. She was gonna miss this. She was going to ask after the lesson, if Daryl considered offering more classes again. She would sign up Chase in a second if it meant he would continue on the same path he was on. It was completely up to Daryl at this point.

The time flew by, Daryl thanked them all for being a part of this and how great their skills had become. The three older boys were high fiving each other and even went up to Chase and included him in their celebration. Chase was excited to finally fit in with these boys and show that age meant nothing. Beth stayed back, as Chase wanted to keep talking to Daryl and she slowly made their way over to them.

"My mom said that if I was good, and helped her out, that Santa would bring me my own archery set for Christmas," Chase rambled on. Daryl smirked at the kid and looked up to Beth, knowing full well that he was getting that bow for Christmas.

"Well, if you've been doing what I told ya, then I think you'll find it under your tree on Christmas."

Chase beamed at Daryl and started shaking in excitement.

"Hey Chase, do you mind if I talk to Daryl for a minute?" Beth asked.

Chase turned around to look at his mom, "Sure mom. I'm gonna clean up for him as a thank you." He ran off not seeing the shocked expression on both adults' faces.

"Don't think I'd be acting like that at his age," Daryl joked.

"I've gotta say, these lessons have really brought out the best in him, and it's almost like he's a whole different kid," Beth admitted. Daryl grunted in agreement. "Which is what I wanted to talk to you about. Was wondering if you were gonna continue doing this in the spring, maybe."

When Daryl looked down suddenly, she knew that her luck had come to a close. She didn't blame him at all either, it was a time commitment, and he was entitled to do as he pleased.

"Nah, don't really want to be teaching a bunch of kids this stuff," Daryl said, catching a glance at Beth's face. She could feel her shoulders slump in defeat and she felt sad that she would need to tell Chase that this was it. She was mentally calculating what she could afford and that maybe she could get him private lessons or something when Daryl shocked her with his next statement.

"Wanna keep teaching Chase though."

Beth could have felt her heart stop in that moment. It shocked her to the core that Chase meant that much to him that he would be willing to continue the lessons.

"Kid's got a talent and I wanna help him out."

"You have no idea what that means to me," Beth said, already moving closer to Daryl and wrapping her arms around his waist, She could feel Daryl tense against her body. As her mind caught up with her actions, she quickly dropped her arms and stepped back.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that," Beth blushed. She could see the redness creep up in his cheeks and he rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"No, it's fine. Just wasn't expectin' that," Daryl chuckled.

"Chase will be so excited. Are you gonna keep doing lessons like this here?"

"Actually, I was hoping to take him huntin' with me. I try and go once a week and maybe he could come out with me," Daryl spoke softly, "If it's alright with you."

Beth was a little taken back by his offer. That would mean he would be gone for several hours in a day and she could pick up some extra shifts at the library or take some time to get errands done without him. "That's really generous of you but I feel bad. I really can't afford to pay you and I feel like I should,"

"Nah, don't want your money. I'm goin out already, and this way, he can get some hands on experience," he explained, "You can come out too if you want."

"Oh no, I can handle _this_. The woods and anything else you do out there is not my thing. I enjoy the indoors way more," Beth laughed, which Daryl quickly joined in on. "I have a counter offer. What if you took him out for whatever amount of time and then afterwards, you can bring him back to my house and I can cook you dinner? I think that's a good exchange for now."

"I think I can agree to your terms. If you cook like you bake, then I think we'll be okay," Daryl said. Beth had caught him taking a few bites in between teaching, and she could tell he enjoyed her cookies. She wasn't the best cook, but she certainly learned a few recipes from her mother.

"Well, I'll give you my number so we can arrange when and whatnot," Beth said, feeling those nerves creeping back up, "Or, if you need to talk to me about something else." Beth could feel her cheeks redden as she spoke, almost feeling like she was flirting with him. Maybe she was and she was trying to project her attraction to him.

"Ahh, yeah, here," he said, grabbing his phone from his pocket. "Put your number in here and I'll text you mine," Beth grabbed the phone and put her name and number in. She gave it back to him and they fell silent. Rather than stand there uncomfortably, she grabbed her blanket and bag from beside her feet and looked back in his eyes.

"I guess we'll talk soon then," she almost whispered. He nodded and looked back down. She smiled knowing that she had a slight effect on him and it showed with his nerves. She called to Chase, who came running with a bag full of equipment over his shoulder and he dropped it at Daryl's feet. Chase thanked Daryl again, which earned him getting his hair messed by Daryl, and they made their way back to the car.

The whole drive home, Beth explained the new arrangement and how Daryl was going to be taking him out hunting. Chase was over the moon and wouldn't stop talking about all the fun things they could do, and maybe they would be able to shoot a deer or something. It was truly amazing to see the difference in her son after these past ten weeks and Beth really only had Daryl to thank for that. She was glad he was willing to take time with him and be a great male role model for him.

It made her wonder if her feelings for Daryl weren't such a great idea. As great as it would be to be with him, what if things didn't work out? Chase was already getting super close to Daryl, and she would hate to ruin this new bond between the two boys by breaking up with Daryl. It wasn't fair to Chase to even chance that. She thought about the line that needed to be drawn between friendship and romance and about staying on one side.

It was times like this that she wished she had more females in her life, or someone else she could talk to about these things. She had Carol, so maybe she could get advice from her about how to tread through this. She was a mother and regardless about her own wants and needs, she needed to put her son's needs before her own. She would hate for all this progress to be made, for it all to be ruined because she wanted companionship.

This was a terrible situation and she really wished it didn't have to be this hard. This was why she hadn't gotten involved with anyone since Zach. Because before it even started, it was already leading to heartbreak.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading and please review.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks to all those followed and reviewed. Means so much to me.**

 **Thanks to Brandy, Carla and Abby for the beta help.**

* * *

"Keep steady and just breathe as you pull the trigger," Daryl whispered into Chase's ear. They were hiding in the brush, having just spotted a doe in the clearing. Daryl had pulled Chase in front of him and was allowing him to make the shot, while he was holding the weight of the bow. He could feel Chase relax and slowly breathe in. When he breathed out, he pulled the trigger and let the bolt fly.

Both of them watched as it hit its intended target and watched the deer fall to the ground. A kill shot. Chase fist pumped the air as he celebrated hitting his mark, and Daryl made his way over to finish the job. The little boy skipped over to his mentor and became entranced with what lay in front of him.

"I really shot that?" he asked in amazement.

"Sure did," Daryl answered back. Since it was now hunting season, Daryl was making sure that the kid learned the survival skills he needed to know. They started right after Christmas, and Chase, this being his third time coming out with Daryl, was really proving himself as a quick study.

Chase grabbed the hunting bag so Daryl could reach the hunting knife he would need to start dressing the animal. He wasn't surprised that Chase was eager to learn about cutting open a dead animal. He assumed most young boys loved blood and guts, so why would this kid be any different?

He made sure to talk Chase through the entire process, and before he knew it, they were stringing it up into the branches, to let some of the extra blood drain and to let the meat cool down quickly. Chase made sure to keep quiet and only ask questions when necessary. They would cut up the meat into steak and organs for them to take home.

"Think you're mom would mind having some fresh deer?"

"I think so. She'll never believe that I killed it," Chase joked. Daryl chuckled.

"Sure she will. Ain't got no reason to doubt ya."

"She'll believe you. She really likes you."

Daryl just shrugged his shoulders and sighed. As much as he liked Beth and was getting to know her, he felt like she was pulling back slightly.

Before their conversations were natural and he felt like she was really interested in what he had to say. Now, she always steered the conversation towards Chase, and although was still kind to him, it felt awkward.

He at one point had contemplated asking her out on a date, but now, he wasn't sure. He was attracted to her and he thought she felt it too. Since that last class, it had been really hard to tell.

"Are you gonna marry my mom?" Chase asked innocently, which caused Daryl to choke on his own breath.

"Why you think that's gonna happen?" Daryl sputtered.

"Well, when two people like each other, they get married. Ain't that how it works?" Chase looked at him with wide eyes. Daryl almost laughed at the child's rationale. They didn't know just how complicated things were.

"Nah," Daryl shook his head.

"Why not?"

"Little more complicated than that."

"Don't seem complicated. I want a dad, and you're really cool and nice to me. And my mom is happy with you."

There was that word. Dad. As scary as a word it was, it didn't cause that panic that Daryl was normally accustomed to in these moments. He knew the kid's situation and his desire to have a father. Didn't make these conversations any easier though.

"I'm always gonna be here for ya kid. But it's up to your mom on who your dad's gonna be," Daryl tried to explain. Chase continued to stare at him and slowly let this information sink in.

"Oh…" he said slowly. "Okay," His demeanor changed and he seemed to take Daryl's explanation as truth and left it at that.

They finished up with their deer and started on the road home.

* * *

When he pulled the truck into park in Beth's driveway, Chase barely let him stop the car before he was unbuckling himself and running out of the vehicle. He chuckled at the child's eagerness and went to pulling some of the ziploc bags from the back cooler. They stopped at his trailer to drop his meat off in the deep freeze and kept a few bags to bring to Beth.

When he entered the house, along with Chase's booster seat, Beth was leaning over to listen to every word of what Chase has said about their trip that day. She was wearing a small apron over her jeans and sweater, and her hair was pulled back in a messy bun.

Chase was talking a mile a minute and Beth could only nod her head and pay attention to what he was saying. Daryl placed the seat on the floor by the door, so she wouldn't forget to put it back in her car, and walked over to where they were. Beth looked up at Daryl and smiled, her eyes glistening with pride.

"He actually shot a deer by himself?" she asked, her voice laced in awe.

"Sure did. I just held the crossbow for him. He aimed and pulled the trigger," Daryl said proudly.

"I'm probably a terrible parent for letting a six year old shoot an animal, but I don't think I've ever been prouder," Beth said, grabbing her son in a tight hug.

"Probably the only time he's gonna. Deer season is gonna be over soon."

"Can we go next year?" Chase asked hopefully. Daryl looked to Beth for an answer. He didn't want to okay it with the kid when she might not want to.

"We'll have to see how things are going. It's a long time away," She suggested. Chase seemed to be okay with her answer and ran to his room to change.

Daryl and Beth were left alone in the kitchen, the awkwardness returning to both of them. Daryl rubbed the back of his neck and looked around the room, unsure of what to say.

"Dinner will be ready in about 10 minutes," Beth spoke, returning to the stove, "You can use the bathroom to wash up if you need to."

And with that, she turned her back to him and went about finishing her task. This is what they had come to. It actually hurt Daryl a little with her attitude change and it turned him off from wanting to stay.

He was hoping to get to know her better, as well as spend time with Chase, but she seemed so detached now.

He made his way to the bathroom, already knowing where it was and washed his hands. He wondered if this was really worth it anymore. He could easily just drop the kid off and go home to his trailer, rather than sit through an awkward dinner.

"Mom made meatloaf. It's your favorite right?" Chase interrupted his thoughts. He smiled down at the kid.

"Sure is," he replied. They made their way to the dining room, where Beth was bringing in a few dishes. Rather than offer to help, Daryl took his spot and sat quietly, while Chase continued to talk about their trip.

Beth brought in the meatloaf and side dishes of mashed potatoes and green beans. She already had their water glasses filled and a glass of milk for Chase was set out with the plates and cutlery.

She took her seat and looked to Daryl, giving him a nod as permission to start serving himself. He asked Chase for his plate and served the kid first, then went to his own. He always let Beth eat first, but this time, he just did as he was told.

"Don't forget about your reading tonight buddy. We've got to finish that book as your homework," Beth reminded her son.

"I know. I can't wait to tell the kids in my class about this trip. Maybe I can bring something for show and tell," chase exclaimed.

"Don't think you can bring a deer carcass to school," Daryl said.

"Too bad we didn't take a picture."

"I don't think your class, especially your teacher would really appreciate that," Beth said. Chase pouted but resumed eating his dinner.

It remained quiet, only the sounds of clinking forks and knives as they are. Chase was eating mouthfuls, impatient see what was for dessert.

"Mom," Chase asked, taking a gulp of his milk to wash down his food, " You get to decide who my dad is right?"

"Ummmm," Beth stuttered, not quite understanding what her son was saying.

"Cause I would like Daryl to be my dad and he said it's up to you," Chase said bluntly. Daryl almost choked on his food with that statement and his eyes went straight to Beth's. Beth looked in complete shock, with her mouth open slightly. "And I heard you telling Auntie Maggie that you liked him, and that what moms and dads need to do right, like each other?"

Daryl could feel the embarrassment wash over him, and he assumed Beth felt the same thing, as she was turning bright red.

"Chase, this isn't the appropriate time to be talking about that."

"Why not? I want Daryl to be my dad. He should talk about this too."

"It's more complicated than that sweetheart."

"No, you're making it complicated. You can be together, and I can have a dad!" Chase yelled at his mother. He pushed himself away from the table and got up from his chair. "Why don't I get to pick him? Why do you get to?"

"Chase," Beth pleaded with him.

"No! I want Daryl."

"I'm sorry Chase, but it's not going to happen. We aren't going to be together," Beth yelled back at her son. Daryl could feel that stab to the chest that just solidified his thoughts on Beth not caring for him. She was simply being nice and he mistook it for something else.

Chase obviously didn't want to hear what his mother said next and ran to his room, slamming the door shut. Daryl could feel the house shake with the anger and force he put behind it and he suddenly felt the need to leave.

He got up from his chair and Beth turned around to face him. He could see the start of tears in her eyes and he felt bad for that this had to transpire right in front of him.

"I'm sorry. You shouldn't have had to see that," She trembled, her voice about to crack from the emotions. Daryl could merely shrug and get himself out of this situation. "I don't want him to think this is more than what it is -"

"Ain't your boyfriend, don't gotta explain yourself," Daryl spat out a little too forcefully. He was a little hurt by her confession, and he truly felt embarrassed for thinking it was anything more. Beth shut her mouth and left them in silence. She lowered her gaze to her feet and he knew that it was time to go.

Without a word, he grabbed his things and left her house, not caring about anything other than getting home. It would be hard to be around the two of them after what was said that evening. It was clear that Chase was looking for a father, and it was obvious that Beth didn't see him that way. Hell, he hadn't been thinking about it like that either, but the more time he spent with this kid, the more warmed to the idea.

Didn't matter now. He would wait for that text message or phone call where she would say that he couldn't come around anymore. It was just a matter of time.

He made it home to his trailer and started banging around, not really looking for anything in particular. He was just trying to vent his frustration and cupboard doors and random items seemed to be the way to get it done. He sat on his couch, contemplating this whole day and how messed up everything was. He started this thing just paying back a favor, and now he somehow got involved with this kid that he really enjoyed being around.

He certainly wished that Beth and the dad were still together, it would have made this a lot easier on Daryl. With a man in the picture, Daryl would have never set his sights on Beth. Now this was just a big clusterfuck of emotions and he really didn't want to deal with it.

He felt bad for Chase. He was doing better in school and in life and Daryl felt content that he had a part in that. With all that transpired though, would that progress be wasted?

* * *

 **Just trust me...**

 **Thanks for reading and pleas review.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks for all the reviews and follows! I really appreciate it.**

* * *

It had been four days since the blow up, and Chase was making sure that his mother knew it. He didn't want to talk or listen to her that night and had barely acknowledged her since. They went through the routine everyday, but it was tense between them, to say the least.

She had not heard a word from his school so she only hoped that he was taking things out on her. If he reverted back to his old behaviour, she was certain that therapy and medication would be the next step and she really didn't want to go there. She already felt terrible about what happened, and if she tried to push meds on him, she worried she would lose him forever.

On top of her stress with Chase, she was also worried about her relationship with Daryl. She saw the hurt look on his face when she spoke about her and Daryl never being in a relationship. She had a strong feeling that he too felt something for her but she was trying to protect her heart and her son's. Regardless, her plan backfired when she admitted nothing would ever happen.

She had been texting and calling, hoping they could talk and discuss this but he was choosing to ignore her. She even tried calling from her work phone, just to see if he was screening his calls. Sure enough, no answer and his voicemail was full; probably from all her messages she left him.

She was tired of feeling like this and wondering where she stood with the two boys in her life. She was pretty sure if she didn't fix things, that she was in for a more miserable life ahead of her.

Beth had been at work, adding some new books into stock, when an idea hit her that she hadn't thought about yet. She checked her phone and sure enough, there was the information she needed. It was a long shot but this was her last chance.

* * *

She heard a truck pulling up the road and she stood up from where she was perched on the staircase. She could tell that he had noticed her from the cab of his truck and was reluctant to talk to her. It was pretty dark out but she could see the frown on his face. He eventually got out of the vehicle and started towards his front door.

"Whatchu' doin here Beth?" Daryl grunted, clearly not in the mood to deal with her.

"We need to talk," Beth pleaded. He stopped in his tracks.

"Who's got little man?"

"I got a babysitter." Beth replied. "I've been sitting here for almost two hours, waiting for you to come home, so I hope you would just hear me out in consolation for me waiting in the cold."

Daryl pondered her request and she almost assumed that he was going to leave her out here, when he unlocked the door and held it open for her.

"You want something to drink?" he asked, his hair dropping down over his eyes. Beth nodded and made her way in. As he put his things down and started grabbing some mugs from the kitchen, Beth looked around the small space.

It was a small trailer, only one bedroom in the back. There was a bathroom door right next to it, and an open living room and kitchen area. There was a small table with two chairs on either side and a tv between the two rooms. It was what one would expect for a bachelor, and it didn't leave any surprises for Beth.

She sat on the couch, watching Daryl move around the small kitchen area. He had boiled some water in a pot and had two mugs sitting on the counter. He was hunched over, looking deep in thought, almost pained from the way his hands were gripping the counter. He was at war with himself, she could tell, and she didn't blame him. She kinda sprung this meeting on him, and he had no way to prepare himself.

The water eventually boiled and he pulled it off the stove and filled the two cups. He stirred them both a few times and brought them over to where she was sitting. He only had one couch and she already sat on the one end. He chose the other end. She looked down in the cup in front of her and noticed the frothy brown liquid. She held the cup, feeling the warmth creep up her hands and inhaled the chocolatey scent inside.

"Didn't take you for a hot chocolate kinda guy," she said, taking a sip to warm her bones. He never looked up, just kept his eyes downcast towards the mug in front of him.

"Chase's favourite. Bought it for him after our trips together."

Beth could only nod. She knew how much Chase loved the chocolate drink. It was because of her that he enjoyed it so much. It warmed her heart to know that Daryl wanted to make Chase happy with something so simple as his favourite drink.

They remained in silence for a few more minutes, Beth continuing to drink. She could see the way that Daryl was getting anxious with her being there, and before he kicked her out, she should probably explain why she was there.

"I wanted to say sorry for what happened the other night," Beth started, looking over to Daryl to see him still staring at his cup.

"Already apologized. Wastin your time."

"I need to explain things though. I can see what you're doin' now."

"And what am I doin?" Daryl raised his voice slightly, finally taking a look at her. She could see that hurt look in his eye again and immediately felt terrible.

"You're pushing Chase away."

Once Beth spoke, Daryl immediately stood up from the couch and pulled at his hair.

"I didn't ask for this Beth. I was just trying to help the kid out, but then he got it in his head that I was gonna be his daddy."

"I should have explained things better to him. He's just confused," Beth tried to explain.

"Yeah, you should have," Daryl stated angrily. Beth rose from the couch, anger starting to rise in her.

"Well I'm sorry that my life is so messed up that I have a fatherless child, who got confused when a man took interest in him," Beth started yelling back at him.

"And that's my fault? Kid is practically begging for someone in his life to take care of him."

"Who are you to decide what my son needs? You spend a couple weeks with him and you're suddenly his father?" Beth questioned.

"That ain't what this is about. I don't need some kid latching onto me cause he's got daddy issues. Was just trying to help you out but it seems you got bigger issues," he yelled.

Beth huffed and got right in his face. "My issue is that I ever believed that this could work. All I was trying to do was protect myself and my son from getting hurt but it seems that happened anyway," she could feel the tears stinging her eyes, and she tried to keep herself composed.

"Do you realise how hard it's been for me to let someone in? I've been abandoned, and I'm sorry that I thought that I could finally put my trust in someone," Beth admitted.

"Abandonment issues are your excuse? Sorry to break your bubble princess, but life ain't fair. You ain't the only one with problems."

"Oh yeah. I can see right through you Daryl. You're pushing people away because you're afraid to let people in."

"Exactly what you're doing. You won't let anyone get close to you."

"It's not just me I have to worry about. My son is the most important thing in my life, and I have to put his needs before my own."

"So you hide behind him?" Daryl asked.

"I'm not hiding," Beth growled.

"You ain't willing to trust someone and that's what your problem is."

"Trusting people has done nothing but hurt me. Trusting you will only hurt me."

Daryl could only huff around, trying to get away from Beth who still stood right in front of him, "You're the person doing the hurting, Beth."

"You don't think I know that? I saw that look pass over your face when I told Chase we weren't going to be together. You said you ain't my boyfriend, but I really wish you could be."

Daryl's whole demeanor changed and he almost stumbled at her admittance.

"I'm tired of acting this way, but I have to protect myself. As badly as I want you, I can't do that to Chase," Beth could feel a tear slide down her cheek, and she didn't care to brush it away. "He adores you, and I see how much he means to you. I can't let my feelings for you interfere with your relationship. But I'm afraid it already has," Beth fell into the couch, hiding her face in her hands, finally letting it all come out.

She felt strong arms come around her body and hold her tight. She enjoyed this feeling, being in his arms. She felt safe and protected and soon wondered why she would push him away. Every moment that she kept away from him, just made her feel even more empty. This, right now, made sense.

His head was resting on hers and she pulled away to look him in the eyes. Her hands slid up his cheeks and caressed his face. She couldn't deny this anymore, and she was ready to start moving on. She pulled his face towards her, allowing their lips to touch. There was no movement between the two, just the slightest touch between them. Daryl's hands slid from around body, to hold her at the waist. He applied more pressure to her mouth, and he soon responded with his own movements. It wasn't a kiss filled with passion or fire; it was simple.

It was nothing more than a few minutes, and when he pulled away, he didn't go far. He rested his forehead against hers and Beth could only look down at his lips which were slightly red and swollen from where they kissed.

She could still feel wetness on her cheeks from the tears and his hand came up to brush them from her face.

"You can't keep running Beth. Gotta let people in," he whispered. She could smell the chocolate on his breath, and it made her heart bubble over in comfort and warmth

"It's really hard," Beth mewled. "My heart can't take anymore hurt."

"Can't promise ya anythin' Beth, but I would try to not hurt you or Chase."

Beth lifted her head to look into his eyes, and she could see how sincere he was being with her. She snuggled into him, laying her head against his chest, and she could feel how his heart rate increased when she held him close. He was just as scared as she was, but was trying to be strong for her.

She couldn't let go of him but she knew that she needed to get back to Chase and let Sophia get home. She pulled away and took a step back from Daryl. Already feeling the loss of his arms around her, she came to realize what was important.

"I gotta' get home to Chase before it gets too late but I'd really like if you could come over for dinner this weekend, and maybe you could stay for a movie or something after?" Beth questioned, biting her lip. Daryl gave a little smirk, knowing what she was asking and seeing his smile, made her know that things would be okay.

"Mmmhhhhmm," he mumbled. She smiled back and he escorted her to the door. She gave him one final kiss and made her way back to the car. She could feel him watching from the door of his trailer as she got into her car and drove away. She felt a million times better now than she had since this morning, possibly better than she had in the last 6 years, and that made her smile even wider.

* * *

 **Told you to trust me ;)**

 **Thanks for reading and please review.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Taking a time jump here.**

* * *

Beth was fixing Chase's hair while he was trying to get away from her.

"You're gonna embarrass me, Mom," he grimaced. They were standing in front of his school and Beth was making sure it looked presentable.

"I wanna make sure you look good on your first day," she smiled back at him, standing up straight again from her kneeled position.

"Ain't like it's his first day ever. It's the second grade," Daryl piped in from where he was standing against his truck. Beth looked back at him and glared, knowing that she was going overboard, but it was her motherly duty to do so.

"Can I go yet?" Chase asked, pulling his bag full of school supplies higher onto his shoulders.

"Yes fine, go!" she waved him off. He smiled and ran over to his group of friends, leaving Beth and Daryl to their lonesome.

"You gonna be okay?" Daryl asked with a laugh. He knew that after an amazing summer together, the three of them, she was having a hard time letting go of him again.

"My baby is seven and in the second grade already," Beth whined, making her way to the passenger door that Daryl was standing in front of. He opened the door and helped her inside before making his way over to the driver's side to get in.

"Usually parents are excited to see their kids back in school. Give them some sanity back."

"I give you till the weekend before you start complaining how much you miss him during the day," Beth stated, knowing that Daryl did feel a little tug on his heart from the boy being back at school. He would never admit it though.

Since their kiss in his trailer, they had taken their relationship slow. He still took Chase for the day on weekends, stayed for supper and a movie, and eventually went home. They had a date night every week, where it was just the two of them. Beth was able to open up about the loss of her mother and brother, her father and eventually dumping Zach after she found out he had been cheating on her.

Daryl listened and could understand the abandonment she felt. He too felt that with how he was raised and his family leaving him to fend for himself. They connected on that front and although it was such a negative part of their lives, they were able to understand each other so much better.

Chase had taken their relationship in great stride and immediately thought they were going to get married. Beth made sure to have a long discussion with him about the relationship and how things would work. They were going to take things slowly, and if they decided to get married, it would be a long time from now. Chase understood, but was still ecstatic to know that Daryl would be in his life.

During the summer, Beth felt more comfortable allowing Daryl to sleep over at her house, and he started spending more and more time there. Merle was off on one his adventures and Daryl hadn't heard from him in months.

Their sexual relationship hadn't started till he moved in permanently, only four weeks ago. They agreed to take things slow and they had been. Him sleeping over was just for comfort, and although they weren't having sex, that didn't mean that other exploring wasn't happening.

They talked a lot about their relationship, Daryl always checking in with Beth and how she was feeling. He wanted to make sure that she was comfortable and that things were evolving at a good pace for them. This was his first real relationship, and he wanted to do right by Beth. He truly cared for her and Chase, and wanted to do everything in his power to be there for them.

Moving in together was a normal step and although Beth became a little anxious about the idea, she soon realised that she wanted him there. Zach had left such a bitter taste in her mouth that the idea of sharing a space with a man again made her want to vomit. But Daryl never pushed, and he didn't try and change everything in her home. He barely had anything he wanted to contribute to her home and what he did bring, only complimented her home more.

"Think about that contest I was tellin' you about," Daryl asked as they started their drive. They had both taken the day off to take Chase to school and pick him up later. They were going to run some errands for the house and go out for lunch.

"Yeah. If you think he's ready, then I'm okay with it," Beth replied.

"Kid needs to see what others are like. Learn competition."

"I guess if he was in soccer or something, he would have tournaments for that."

"Mhhhmm, "Daryl nodded. "My parents never had the money to put me into one of them but Chase could really go far with this."

"I guess this will help him learn sportsmanship too."

"Kid's gonna win this thing. I got him shootin' moving targets now."

"He's also seven. He isn't going to be against adults. He would be against younger kids. I don't call that too fair."

"He might be able to move forward faster because of it."

"Gosh, you're gonna be one of those showboating dads aren't you?" Beth laughed. Daryl just glared at her with a small smirk on his face. It wasn't uncommon for Daryl to be known as Chase's dad. Plenty of people had commented on their family, and instead of correcting them, they just smiled and nodded. Daryl knew that little boy had him wrapped around his little finger, and Daryl felt something so deep for him that it didn't even bother him. He kinda liked it actually.

"I's thinkin' we could go out for the weekend, three of us."

"Sound like a plan. Sign him up then," Beth stated.

"Need your signature on the forms," Beth rolled her eyes. She had kinda gotten so use to playing family, that she forgot that Daryl had no authority with Chase at all.

"Kay. We'll add that to the list of things we need to get done today," Beth replied. They were currently headed to the mall, where they were gonna go pick out some new bedding for the bedroom. She'd had the floral design for almost seven years now, and she figured he would appreciate the change.

Although they talked about their relationship, their future was something that hadn't touched on. They were so focused on the now, and letting go of the past, that marriage and future children were never discussed. They both had thoughts about it, but neither were willing to take that first step.

In the middle of their shopping, Daryl's phone rang and he saw the unknown number. Wondering just who it could be, he answered.

"Darylina, where you at?" Merle's voice boomed from other end. Daryl had to pull the phone away from his ear, just to bring it down to an acceptable level.

"Merle?" he questioned, even though he knew exactly who it was.

"You forget about your big brother?"

"Haven't heard from you in months,"

"Apparently, you haven't been in this trailer in months. Where's the grub?" Merle asked. Daryl sighed. Of course he would just show up at the trailer out of the blue.

"Don't live there anymore Merle. Moved in with my girl."

"Well she probably got food at her place, where's it at?"

"Really, is that what you need? They gotta' thing called grocery stores." Daryl was astonished at his brother's presumption.

"Well baby brother, little short on cash these days," Merle admitted although Daryl knew that was always the case. He knew Merle was gonna keep hounding him so he had to figure something out. Beth had stopped looking at towels and was now paying attention to Daryl.

"I'll stop by in a bit Merle. Can you survive till then?"

"Let's hope so. I'm wasting away," Daryl hung up and shoved the phone back in his pocket.

"Your brother back?" Beth asked, toying with the display in front of her. Daryl nodded.

"Needs a handout and frankly, I don't wanna give him one," he admitted.

"So don't then. You work hard for your money, shouldn't let your older brother take advantage of that," Beth explained.

"You mind if we buy this, I take ya back home and then go out to the trailer. Promised to take ya out for lunch, but I think I have a date with my brother now." Beth smiled and kissed his cheek.

"It's fine. I'll give you some leftovers for you both to share. You should also invite him over sometime this week."

"You want him around Chase?"

"He deserves a chance. He screws up, then he won't be allowed over anymore," Daryl kissed her forehead, as he brought her in for a hug. Although he had a love/hate relationship with his brother, he was still family, and he was glad that Beth was at least willing to give him a chance.

They finished up their shopping, and Daryl brought her back home. She made a little picnic lunch for the men to share and sent Daryl on his way. As he drove closer to the trailer, he couldn't help but think how different his life was now and how much he appreciated the change. Beth and Chase were his entire life now, and it was the best feeling ever.

Merle was lazing on the couch, staring at the tv, which only had basic cable on it from the rabbit ears. The image was fuzzy, but it still worked.

"Took you long enough," Merle groaned from the couch. Daryl rolled his eyes.

"We was out when you called. Had to take Beth home first."

"Never thought I'd see the day when you shacked up with a woman. She must be that good in the sack."

"Ain't about that Merle," Daryl brought over one of the plates that Beth had made up for them and put it on the coffee table in front of him. "She made you some food."

"Well lookie that, she can even cook. Got yourself a sweet deal there," Merle dug into the food at a rapid pace, like he hadn't eaten in years. Daryl just sat back on the couch, not feeling well enough to eat.

He remembered what Beth has said, about giving him a chance, he was just unsure if he wanted to give Merle the chance.

"She wants to have you over for dinner one night. She wants to meet you," Daryl said cautiously.

"Wants to see what the other Dixon has to offer?" Merle suggested with a waggle of his eyebrows. Daryl rolled his eyes.

"You're gonna treat her with respect Merle. She's important to me and I'm not gonna let you treat her like shit," Daryl threatened. It was one thing for Merle to piss Daryl off, but he refused to let that happen to Beth. Merle stopped eating and looked over at his brother. He was trying to get a read on him and what this girl had done to his baby brother.

"Could probably come for a free meal," Merle finally replied to the question. Daryl figured he should be completely honest at this point so Merle wasn't surprised when he arrived.

"She's got a son. Name's Chase."

"Knew there was something wrong with her. She got you playing baby daddy?" Merle laughed.

"Kid's already seven. And I ain't playin house. I love her, and I love that kid like he's my own," Daryl said angrily. How dare he belittle him.

"Whoa there partner. No need to get your panties in a twist."

"I ain't gonna let you screw this up for me. You wanna come over and meet them, fine. But you ain't gonna act like your normally do."

"I'll be on my best behaviour," Merle said, motioning a cross over his heart. Daryl wanted to believe him but there was still that part of him that knew who Merle could really be.

"You can stay here while you're around. I bring Chase out here on the weekend to go huntin."

"She lets you bring her kid out and kill things?"

"Kids a great shot. He was in that Archery class I was teachin. Damn natural," Daryl said.

"Might have to see for myself. I taught you everything I knew."

"And I'm still better than you," Daryl joked. Merle threw his fork at Daryl and put his plate on the table in front of him. Although they remained quiet, it was just what the two of them did.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading and please review.**

To the anon who said that their relationship was moving to fast and it was getting a little too cheesy...sorry? And there's gonna be way more cheese coming up soon so yeah..sorry?


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you to Abby, Brandy and Carla for being awesome betas. And to all my followers and reviewers, y'all rock!**

* * *

The tournament was upon them and they traveled out to Macon for the weekend. Daryl had taken care of everything and was happy to finally be taking a trip out with Beth and Chase. They were loaded up in his truck, almost at the hotel they would be staying in for the few nights, listening to the radio. Beth was humming along, while Chase was tapping his foot against his booster seat.

It felt great to get away after Chase had started school. They had only gone away once on a camping trip during the summer and Beth had to admit, that she liked spending time with her two favourite boys out of the house.

Chase was the most excited for this trip and he had talked nonstop about it since they told him. Daryl had managed to convince the organizers to let him in a higher age bracket. He would have creamed the younger kids and that just wouldn't have been fair. Daryl still thought Chase would take the whole thing but Beth reminded them both that the point was to have fun, not just win.

They arrived at the hotel and Daryl went in to check them in. Beth looked behind to where Chase was sitting. He beamed his mega watt smile at his mother.

"I'm really happy mom," Chase said. Beth smiled back at him.

"Me too," she responded.

They continued to listen to the music until Daryl got back into the truck and they parked near the entrance, closest to their room. He grabbed the bag of equipment, while Beth grabbed their large suitcase, which housed all their clothes for the few days they were gone.

It was getting on supper time, as they had left right after Chase finished school. He was already going to miss Monday, since they wouldn't get home till late, and they didn't want him to think he could keep missing school for this.

They set their belongings down and Beth started perusing the delivery menus that were in the room. Chase was checking both beds and figuring out which one was more comfortable.

"Don't think you get a bed all to yourself. I plan on sneaking in there and snuggling with you as soon as you're asleep," Beth warned him with a mischievous look in her eye.

"Please don't mom," Chase whined. He sat on a bed and laid back finally. "This one is mine"

"Good, cause I like by the window anyway," Daryl commented, laying back on his own bed.

"Chase, we're gonna order some pizza. Maybe finish any homework you may have before it gets here. Then you can shower and get to bed early so you'll be ready for tomorrow."

"Meat lovers please," he said, grabbing his backpack. It was only the second grade so he didn't have a lot to do, just an activity sheet with basic math on it.

"Me too," Daryl said with a grin. Beth shook her head and made the call for delivery. The rest of their evening past with all of them going to bed early, so they would all be alert the next day

* * *

Once Chase was registered and had his number pinned on his shirt, it was all about waiting now. His category didn't come up for another two hours, so they thought they would wander around and check out some of the sponsor booths that were set up.

Chase grabbed Daryl's arm and was bringing him over the a booth where the man made bolts and arrows. Chase was very intrigued by the process, he and kept asking the seller questions. Daryl was right there, checking out the bolts and looked back to see Beth hovering around other booths, looking at the displays.

She was interested in the sport, but not enough to know all the proper names of everything. She liked how pretty some of the equipment could be, especially the ones made for females. Daryl had already asked her if she wanted to try it out, and she forcefully declined. Chase didn't get his talent from her, that she knew.

She ventured a little farther away from the boys and was looking at some clothing that featured the sponsors of the event. The shirt would be a great reminder to Chase about his first tournament, but just incase he didn't do well, she would refrain from buying him anything yet. She did notice some green and blue bolts that looked very similar to the ones that Daryl had. It reminded her of them and how unlikely a pair the two might be, yet they worked so well together. She lightly touched the feathers when she heard a voice come up beside her.

"You don't look like the type to be into crossbows," she heard the male voice speak. She turned slightly, to get a better look at the man next to her and smiled.

"I actually am. Specially when they're being held by strong, hot men," she admitted with an evil glint in her eye. She knew Daryl wasn't that far away and she could most definitely handle herself with this man in front of her. He wore a leather jacket with short shaved hair. He was older than Daryl, but still had a youthfulness to him, in the way he acted.

"Well you should check out these guns when I'm in the middle of huntin'," He stepped closer, which only caused Beth to take a step back.

"Oh, well my boyfriend loves to hunt with his crossbow. Maybe you've crossed paths before?" she asked innocently.

"Maybe you need to see Ol' Merle here in action before you start bringing out the boyfriend nonsense," He grinned. Beth just smiled and knew he looked familiar. That same grin that's she's smiled back at for the past year.

"Merle Dixon," she asked surprised. "I've heard so much about you." Beth would never call herself an actress, but she sure was putting on a performance to fool Daryl's brother.

"Good things I hope,"

"Oh nothing but good things. Like how you took your brother out to the bar and got busted by the cops for public indecency," she giggled. Merle's eyes straightened to her and he could see that she knew exactly who he was.

"Beth, right?"

"Yeah," Beth giggled again. "It's nice to finally meet you,"

"Likewise," he said, looking her up and down. Just as Beth was about to speak, she heard the familiar voice come up behind her.

"Merle," Daryl stated. He was surprised to see him there, and yet, he was reasonably calm about it.

"Found your ole lady here all by her lonesome."

"She can take care of herself," Daryl said, putting an arm around her shoulder. Merle nodded and looked around. He saw a tiny head poke out behind Daryl and he smirked.

"This the kid?" Merle asked. Chase walked out from behind Daryl and stood proudly in front of Beth and Daryl.

"Merle, this is my son Chase. Chase this is Daryl's brother Merle," Beth introduced the two. Chase smiled up at the older man but Merle just stood still in his spot. His face looked shocked but he quickly composed himself and looked back to Daryl and Beth.

"Heard you got a heck of an aim kid."

"You wanna watch me compete?" Chase asked with wide eyes and excitement.

"That's why I'm here ain't it," Merle said, putting his hand on the kid's shoulder. They started walking towards the exhibition grounds which left Daryl and Beth to follow closely behind them.

"Did you invite him?" Beth whispered. Daryl nodded.

"Told him about it. Didn't think he would come out though."

"I think it's a good thing he did though. He seems to be taken by Chase."

"Just keep an eye on him," Daryl warned. Beth kissed his cheek and they followed where the other two led.

* * *

Chase's grouping was starting and Beth and Merle were standing behind the safety lines, while Daryl stayed over with Chase.

Daryl saw the way the other kids were sizing him up. They had to have figured out that Chase was younger than them and questioned why. Daryl just made sure to encourage him and remind him that he was shooting better than the other kids in his class. He could easily get this done.

There were five other kids in this bracket, four boys and a girl. They were aged ten to thirteen, and they probably had way more experience than what Chase had. Daryl began to doubt his teachings and wondered if he was wrong to get Chase involved in tournaments already.

His doubts were soon replaced by pride when Chase hit the target dead on in the first heat. If the other kids thought he was nothing but wasted space before, they were eating their words now. It was best out of three and the lowest score would be knocked out. Then they would move the targets out farther and they would go again. The top two would move on to the next day where all the top competitors would go for grand champion.

The three adults were just hoping that he topped his own bracket. He would be up against trained adults who spend countless hours preparing for these tournaments and probably competed on an international level.

Beth got more anxious the further they pulled the targets. She knew Chase could hit the forty foot mark, but they were getting to fifty feet and it was him and two of the boys. He just needed to beat one of them and he would be in for tomorrow. Beth clasped her hands together in front of her mouth, silently praying that he could hit the target.

"No use in prayin darlin'. He's either going to hit it or not. God ain't gonna help him," Merle joked. Beth glared at him from the corner of her eyes and remained silent.

Chase was up with his first shot and when he let the arrow fly, she could see the look on his face, he wasn't happy. The arrow hit left of the middle ring and was obviously not what he intended to do. She could see Chase walk back to his spot, and Daryl came over to give him some words of encouragement. She really wished she could go back there and listen in too. Maybe it would give her some faith right now.

The third boy shot and was way off, which was good for Chase. If he could hit the next two perfectly, he would be guaranteed in. On his second shot, he took the extra time to correct his stance and calm himself before shooting. He was slightly over from the bullseye but Beth wanted to scream out.

"You sure he's not a Dixon?" Merle asked, bumping his elbow into Beth's side. Beth laughed at his insinuation and welcomes the slight distraction.

On his final shot, he hit the bullseye which caused Beth to cheer loudly. Chase had a smile on his face, as he knew that he was moving forward to tomorrow. Now he just needed to beat one more kid and he would win his bracket.

They took a few minutes to setup the final target. A whole sixty feet which Beth wasn't sure if Daryl had trained him on that. She could see Daryl giving Chase some last minute pointers, and although Merle told her not to, she still prayed that he did well.

Chase was going first and his first shot seemed to be okay, but it was still too high up. The second boy shot and he made it a little closer.

The second shot, Chase went too low but the other boy shot right over the target. Beth was shaking in anticipation and Merle kept chuckling, muttering under his breath that she was gonna cause an earthquake.

The third shot, Chase was really close. He hit just outside the centre ring, but the third kid has horseshoes up his ass and he hit the bullseye. It was evident that the other kid scored higher with that shot, and it was concluded by the judges that he had. Chase looked bummed but Daryl whispered in his ear. Chase seemed to perk up a bit after and gave Daryl a big hug.

After the awards were given out for that contest, Beth scooped up Chase in her arms and congratulated him.

"We haven't been shooting that far yet. I was hoping I could have hit it," Chase admitted.

"You still did amazing. You got second place on your first tournament. With older kids none the less," Beth tried to encourage him.

"Daryl says we'll start working on that next."

"You did mighty fine kid. Don't think I've seen that much talent since myself and Daryl were youngins," Merle added. He messed up Chase's hair which caused a big grin on his face.

"I hope I can get as good as Daryl."

"Well, I taught him everything he knows so maybe I'll have to give you a few lessons myself," Merle offered. Chase's eyes lit up.

"Can Merle come with us next time?" Chase asked Daryl, pleading with his bright blue eyes. Daryl just rolled his eyes at his brother's antics.

"Sure kid," Daryl said. Merle and Chase both high fived.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving. Why don't we go find some lunch and maybe head back to the hotel to get in the pool," Beth suggested.

"Yeah!" Chase yelled, grabbing Daryl's hand and dragging him towards the parking lot. Beth giggled and poked Merle in the shoulder.

"You should come with us. Hang out for a bit, and keep Daryl company in the bar or something."

"Guess he did tell you all about me," Merle grinned, putting an arm around Beth's shoulder. Beth giggled and they made their way back to the hotel.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading and please review**


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks to the reviews and follows for last chapter.**

 **If anybody wants to know why I seem to be skipping over parts, is because I wanted this story to be short and only deal with what was necessary. I admit, I probably could have went into more detail in some areas and I'll keep that noted on my next story that I'm writing currently. As much as I enjoy this story, I feel like it could have been better, so my next one will definitely deliver on that.**

* * *

It was a regular Saturday night. Beth was working late and Daryl had just put Chase to bed for the night. He came back into the living room and sat back on the couch, with Merle sitting on the recliner beside him. They were both watching some UFC fight on the tv and nursing beers.

It was early November and ever since Merle had officially met Beth and Chase, he seemed to be coming over a lot more to spend time with his brother and his new family. Daryl was glad that Beth was accepting of him and lil Chase would never let either one of the Dixon brothers out of his life. He had them both wrapped around his pinky finger, and he was never letting go.

Beth was so trusting, that she allowed Merle to come over and watch Chase some evenings, which would allow Daryl and Beth more date nights. They loved to ride around on his bike, while the weather was still warm. Now, they would go to movies or go out to dinner and just spend some quality time together.

Daryl was remembering their date night from Wednesday, where Merle came over and they went out to eat.

" _I saw this cute house for sale in the newspaper the other day. It was just inside the city lines, but still kinda out in the woods. Lots of acreage too," Beth said, taking a bite of her pizza._

" _We got a house already," Daryl said confused._

" _Yeah, but it's only a three bedroom. Plus you and Chase love being outside, so it's like having the woods in your backyard."_

She may have meant nothing by it, but it got Daryl to thinking. It was only three bedroom. Wasn't that enough for what they needed? Was she trying to tell him something?

"Think Beth wants to move," Daryl said.

"So move," responded Merle, not taking his eyes of the screen.

"Why move when she's already got a house bought and paid for?" Daryl asked confused.

"How is it that a young thing like her, had enough money to pay for this in cash?"

"After her folks and brother died, she sold the house and property, plus the insurance she split with her sister. Was enough to buy this house and take care of Chase for a few years."

"And where's the kid's dad?" Merle asked with a pensive look.

"Somewhere. She hasn't spoken to Zach since they broke up."

"She never tried to tell him?"

"I dunno. She doesn't like talking about it,"

"Is Zach the father of that kid?"

"Of course he is. Beth ain't like that," Daryl responded angrily.

"Well, hey. The girl was left broken hearted after the break up, maybe she slipped into bed with some other man and ended up in the family way," Merle was just trying to check every angle of the situation.

"He cheated on her for more than a year. She wasn't in the mood to be around other men," Daryl explained. He was growing angry but knew that his brother was just being his usual self.

"So if you married her and wanted to adopt the kid, wouldn't you need to find him first?" Merle asked. Daryl paused. Would they have to tell Zach?

This just upset Daryl even more. What if Zach was pissed that Beth kept him from his son all these years? What if he wanted to be part of Chase's life now, or worse, wanted to take custody from Beth?

"Think I should look into this," Daryl mumbled.

"Well don't yet. Wait till you're married before you start getting lawyers involved," Merle chuckled.

"Still need to start looking into it. If she has to hunt down Zach, it might take awhile," Daryl accepted. It wouldn't hurt to see what needed to be done.

"I could look for the kid's dad. I got connections and shit," Merle offered. Daryl laughed.

"Connections? What do you know?"

"I know people. Can look around a bit. I bet you I could find that kid's dad no problem."

"Whatever, don't get into trouble."

"You got a pic of this Zach kid?"

"Yeah, I think there's a box of stuff in the closet," Daryl said, getting up from the couch. He went to the closet and looked around on the top shelf for the box he had seen before.

It was filled with old photos from growing up and included those of her parents and brother, as well as her ex boyfriend. Once he found the box, he placed it on the bed to rummage through.

"This kid," Daryl said, passing the photo to Merle. Merle looked at the photo and grimaced.

"You sure this is the dad?" Daryl frowned and glared at his brother for again insinuating that Beth was nothing but perfect. "Okay, okay. Whatever you say,"

Merle placed the photo in his pocket and they went back to their fight on the tv.

* * *

It was getting close to Christmas, and Beth and Daryl were currently at the mall, getting through their short shopping lists. They decided not to get anything for each other, as they were just happy to spend their first Christmas together. They did decide to go overboard with Chase and get him a new Archery set they could set up in the backyard during the warmer months.

They were sitting down to eat, and Beth kept taking glances at her cellphone.

"You need to stop looking at it. They're both fine," Daryl explained, trying to get her focused on their shopping task.

"I know they're both fine; I just wonder what on earth Merle could be doing with him," Beth groaned.

"He wanted to take him out hunting. You trust me to take him."

"I know you," Beth exclaimed quietly.

"He's my brother, I wouldn't let just anyone take Chase out," Daryl said, beginning to get offended.

"That's not what I meant. I just find it odd that your brother, who just comes and goes as he pleases is taking so much time with Chase. What about when Merle decides to run off again and Chase is wondering why?"

"Then we'll explain it to him. He's gotten better. He's been working a new job and seems to like it. He's got the trailer to stay in, and I can keep an eye on him there."

Beth sighed. "I do trust Merle, and he's been nothing but nice since he came back. I just worry."

"That's normal for any parent," Daryl smirked, calming her instantly. She smiled back at him and returned to eating. "Speaking of Merle, what should we get him for Christmas?"

"He's your brother. I've known him less than four months. You've got thirty six years of knowledge," she giggled. He rolled his eyes at her comment.

"Don't think we've ever spent a Christmas together. By the time I came around, he was off doing God knows what most of the time,"

"Well this year, we're gonna have a real Christmas. Like normal families," Beth slid her hand over the table and covered his hand with hers. He looked her in the eyes and saw just how much she meant it.

He's waited his entire life to have a normal family, and here she was, right in front of him, willing to give him that. He turned his hand to take her hand in his.

"I love you Beth," he spoke softly, only wanting her to hear his confession.

"Love you too Daryl," she smiled back. They had spoken those words to each other many months ago, but every time still felt like the first.

* * *

Christmas morning was nothing short of crazy as Beth and Daryl were snuggled up in their bed together, and Chase came running in, exclaiming what they already knew.

"It's Christmas, and Santa came last night!" He jumped over the bed, being careful to miss the adults legs. Beth just burrowed under the covers more, while Daryl looked up at the kid with a grimace.

"It's not even seven a.m. boy," Daryl grumbled out, laying back down against the pillow.

"But it's Christmas!" He shouted again. He smiled so wide that Daryl figured his face was gonna get stuck like that.

"Give us like ten minutes to wake up and get out there. You should go and brush your teeth and hair," Beth mumbled from her side. Daryl chuckled, knowing that she was tired from the night before.

Chase was being a little hellion, unable to sleep from the excitement of the holiday. He kept coming up with excuses to stay up or what he needed to get to sleep. Of course, Beth and Daryl needed to stay up until he fell asleep, so they could set up his presents from Santa. Even after that, Beth was feeling a little lovey and wanted to make sure that her and Daryl would have some alone time, since they both knew that Chase would be a ball of energy the next day.

Chase left the room, closing the door behind him, and they could hear him starting the faucet in the bathroom. Beth came out from under the covers and looked beside her to Daryl.

"Merry Christmas," she spoke softly, her voice still a little groggy. Rather than say it back, Daryl leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips, and then the nose. She smiled lazily to him and snuggled up close to his body.

"Need to get up. He's learned how to tell time, and he's probably counting the seconds before he can come rushing back in here," Daryl stated. Beth sighed knowing he was right.

"Okay, you go use the bathroom, and I'll get our pajamas out," she replied.

During their shopping trip, Beth had exclaimed the tradition of Christmas morning with Daryl and how they opened presents in their plaid pajamas, while sipping hot chocolate and taking pictures. Daryl wasn't really one for wearing sleep pants, he usually just wore boxers to bed, but he figured this was his first official Christmas with the two of them, so he would participate.

When they were both refreshed and dressed, they opened their bedroom door and made their way to the living room. Chase was sitting on the couch, waiting patiently with his feet dangling. As soon as he noticed the two of them, he jumped off and headed towards the kitchen.

"I already got the mugs out mom, and I added the water to the kettle," Chase said proudly.

"Well, thanks for being such a great helper," she replied, kissing him on the head, and moving the kettle to the stove where she could heat the water.

"Daryl, can I start picking out the presents I wanna open first?" Chase asked, running back to the living area.

"Sure, but you gotta wait for your mom before you open them." Chase grabbed the largest present and set it up in the middle of the floor. He dug around under the tree and saw a few smaller ones, which he placed next to the larger one.

Beth came over with the hot mugs, and set them down on the side tables next to the couch, where her and Daryl were sitting. Chase looked over to them and smiled. "Can you guys open these first?"

They were slightly taken back, as they had no idea that he had gotten gifts for them. He handed them each a box, which was wrapped a little haphazardly. He must have wanted to do it himself, although Beth figured, that Merle probably wasn't a great gift wrapper either.

Beth opened hers first and found a hand painted wooden frame. It was pink and purple and had wooden lettering glued on that spelled FAMILY. It also had some glitter and sparkles along the sides.

"Oh Chase, this is beautiful. Thank you so much!" she replied, setting it down and hugging him. Daryl opened up his and found the same type of frame, only his was brown and green and had some small branches glued along the outside. Daryl smiled over at Chase and brought him into his own hug and thanked him.

"Uncle Merle helped me with these. Said we could take some pictures of the three of us today and we can put them inside," he admitted. Daryl was shocked that his brother would be so considerate as to help out this kid with some Christmas gifts. He knew he probably bought the frames for him and the paint, since Chase didn't have money and he never asked either one of them.

"For sure we'll take some pictures of us today," Beth agreed.

"Of all three of us together?" Chase bit his lip in anticipation. Beth knew he was nervous but understood was he was asking.

"Absolutely sweetheart," she said back with a grin. He beamed and hugged her again. "Why don't you open your gifts and let's see what Santa brought you."

The rest of the day was spent in complete happiness. Beth made a huge breakfast of bacon, eggs and french toast for them. They took pictures and selfies on their cameras, and picked which ones they wanted to get printed for the photo frames.

Chase begged Daryl to take the new archery set outside and show him how to shoot some more. Beth was busy, working on their dinner so the boys got bundled up and set up the targets and practiced.

Dinner was full of thanks and gratitude and dessert was just the icing on the cake, literally. In the evening, they sat down to watch a movie together, and Chase passed out by the mid way point. Daryl carried him off to bed and came back to the couch to finish the movie with Beth.

They heard a knock on the door, towards the ending and both looked at each confused. Daryl got up and made his way to the front entrance. Opening the door, he saw Merle, standing on the other side.

"Whatcha doin here Merle?" Daryl asked, slightly worried about why his brother showed up here unannounced.

"Can't a brother visit on Christmas?" he asked sarcastically.

"You said you was busy today?" Daryl moved to the side to let his brother in.

"I was," Merle said, making his way into the house. He saw Beth get up from the couch on the living room and gave a small wave. "But I had a little something I wanted to give to you today. Figured it was a good time,"

"Chase just fell asleep if you were wanting to see him," Beth explained.

"Probably better he's asleep. Think we need to have some grown up time." With that, Merle pulled a small bottle of whiskey from his pocket. Daryl and Beth eyed each other wearily but seemed to accept his offering. Beth went to grab some small glasses from the cupboard and place them on the table.

"You came here to have a drink?" Daryl asked, not quite sure what his brother was up to.

"Well that, and I had somethin to give ya. Figured the drink might be needed after." Merle chuckled, pouring two fingers worth of alcohol in each glass. Daryl was looking at his brother, trying to get a read on what exactly was going on. "Found Chase's dad," Merle said pulling a ripped envelope from his back pocket.

Beth's eyes grew wide and she stared down Merle. Daryl was in shock that his brother would bring this up in front of Beth, when he hadn't approached the subject with her yet.

"Why were you looking for Chase's father?" Beth demanded, anger radiating off of her. Merle pushed the glass towards her, urging her to take a drink.

"Cause you two are getting serious and if Daryl's gonna be his new daddy someday, then we gotta make sure no one's gonna stand in the way of that."

"Did you ask him to do this?" Beth asked, staring at Daryl. He looked over at her and saw nothing but hurt and anger in her eyes.

"I did, but I wasn't expecting him to do this," Daryl explained. He felt absolutely terrible that Beth was blindsided by this and it was all his fault.

"I can't believe you two," Beth said before getting up from her chair, ready to run to her room.

"I think you should hold up Angelface. Think you wanna see what's in that envelope." Merle said, tossing the papers towards her.

She was seething at this point, and really just wanted to leave this room, but figured, why not see what trouble he went to. She took out the papers and opened them up and saw a DNA testing lab logo on the top. She cinched her eyebrows in confusion and was trying to decipher what this was telling her.

She read through the letter and almost passed out when she read the information.

 _The chance of you being the father is unlikely, but this test does determine that you are a close relative of the father in question._

"I don't understand. How can you be a relative of the father?" Beth asked dazed.

Merle just smirked at her question, already anticipating it. "Cause Daryl is Chase's dad."

* * *

 **This was planned from the very beginning and there will be a full explanation in the next chapter. I'm a little mean I gotta make you wait till Saturday. LOL**

 **Thanks for reading and be kind in your reviews...:)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Thank you for all the reviews and comments last chapter. Seem to have shocked most of you.**

* * *

"I don't understand how that's possible," Beth stumbled through her words, not able to think properly with the bomb that Merle just set off.

"Are you trying to be funny Merle? Cause this is sick, even for you," Daryl was agitated. He felt terrible before, but now, he was taking on Beth's anger.

"I ain't kidding. Just had to piece together some information but I'm pretty sure on this,"

"But Zach is Chase's dad!" Daryl spoke forcefully. He was trying to keep his emotions in check but he was finding it difficult as his fists clenched.

"When I first saw the kid I knew he looked familiar. Looked just like Daryl. So I got one of those paternity tests kit and sent in the kid's and mine's swab thing. Turns out, I got a nephew." Merle explained.

"You need to leave Merle," Daryl said dryly, no longer making eyes contact and staring at the drink in front of him. He drank it all in one gulp and set the glass back down, feeling the burn down his throat.

Beth didn't wait for either of them and went to the bedroom to cool down. She tried her hardest to keep it down, as Chase was sleeping, but she couldn't help the stomping and pacing she was doing.

She was livid and also embarrassed. This was the one secret she had held onto for years, and had hoped would never come out. Once Chase was old enough, she had every intention of explaining it to him, but until then, she kept it locked inside.

It was completely confusing to her. How could her boyfriend of less than a year, be the father of her seven year old child? This was the stuff from movies and romance novels, not from real life.

She climbed onto their bed and hugged her pillow tight. She wanted to scream, to cry, to laugh and she didn't know what to do first. She was angry at Daryl and Merle for going behind her back like this, without giving herself the chance to explain it to Daryl first. But would she have told him?

Merle said something that had struck her as odd. Daryl being Chase's new daddy. Did that mean that Daryl was thinking of adopting him? It was the only clear answer she could think of. He must have said something to Merle about it, why else would he have gone through all this trouble.

She also wondered how he got the DNA test done. He would have had to ask Chase for a sample from his mouth, unless he took a hair or something. Is that how these things worked? Either way, Merle did what he did and now she had to deal with the results as they were.

She should be happy. Not only did she find love and happiness in this man, against the odds, he was the biological father of her child. Even if he wasn't, he still treated Chase like he was his own before this so at least she knows that he was genuine in his feelings for the both of them.

Would things change now though? They had no reason to but what if Daryl wanted them to get married or legally change Chase's name to his? It felt really fast and unexpected but Beth didn't feel anxious. She was just mentioning to Daryl not that long ago that maybe they should move. That would be stepping up the commitment level, having them own a home together. They were headed in that direction so what if things happened sooner rather than later?

"No, that's wrong," Beth chastised herself. They still needed to take a slow pace with their relationship. Beth groaned, flopping back onto the bed. This was insane. She couldn't keep debating these things with herself. She needed to talk to Daryl and explain everything to him. Tell him what was running through her head back then and what was running through it now. She was an adult and a mother and she needed to own up to her part in this. As weird as it was to her.

Daryl had kicked Merle out, not wanting to say a word to his brother on what he did. Merle seemed to understand because he left without a fight. Daryl went back to the table and poured himself another shot of the whiskey and took in all the information he was just handed.

He never told a soul what he had done. It was a low moment in his life and he just wanted to help out his brother. He saved his brother's life and somehow created another in the process. He was a dad, a real dad.

As much as he considered Chase his, he always felt like he was intruding in on someone else's life. This was Zach's kid, or at least he thought he was. He held back from loving this kid wholly because of that fact. But now that he knew that Chase was his own flesh and blood, he felt that love creep into every corner of his heart.

How did he not notice it before? The more he thought about it, he could see some similarities in himself and Chase. Mannerisms and facial features seem to pop out at him more now. Daryl never looked at himself as a child, his parents never took their picture so he really didn't have a lot to look back on. He was always so focused on growing up and getting out of that life that he just tried to push back those childhood memories.

Merle would have noticed and Daryl berated himself for not seeing that either. Merle was always looking at Chase, studying him in a way that was almost like he was trying to figure something out. He spent a lot of time with the kid and Daryl just thought he was trying to get his life back on track and be with good people. Lo and behold, he was actually spending time with his own nephew.

He left Beth alone for the time being, one, being that she was angry and needed to calm down, and two, he needed the space too. But he knew they needed to talk about things and he needed to know from her, how this was possible. He knew how, he just needed to hear it from her. He remained quiet at the table, continuing to take small sips of the amber liquid.

Beth opened the bedroom door and expected to see Merle sitting at the dining table with Daryl, but he was alone, drinking from his glass. She walked quietly over to him and sat back in her seat. She took the glass that had been poured for her, and took another sip. They remained silent for a few minutes, which gave Beth a few minutes to look through the papers again.

"I didn't have enough money to bail Merle out of jail, "Daryl finally spoke, after taking another shot of whiskey. "and there was some people in there with him that wanted him dead so I needed to get him out. It was a one time thing and I didn't think that Merle even knew about it. Told them I didn't want to be contacted and just wanted the money."

He looked over at Beth and saw her looking at the papers, clearly listening to him, but not wanting to look at him. She thumbed through the papers until a newspaper clipping fell out from in between the sheets. She picked it up and stared at it, tears starting to glisten in her eyes.

She passed it over to Daryl. "He looks just like you," she whispered softly.

He picked it up and couldn't believe the resemblance. It was a picture taken of Merle and Daryl, from a country fair, with their names just below it. They had participated in an archery contest at the state fair one year and had been in the top five. The paper was old and Daryl wondered where Merle could have gotten this from.

"After Zach, I was just…" she started but faltered, her emotion clearly getting the best of her. "I was a mess. I lost everything within five years and I was so tired of being abandoned and left alone." He could tell she was crying at this point and could see her wiping away tears from her cheek.

"Zach was with me when I lost my dad, and my sister had moved away. I thought he was going to be with me the rest of my life. Then I found out about him and Amy and I just lost it. I wanted nothing to do with anyone and I couldn't trust anyone." She took another sip of the burning liquid to gain more courage.

"I was depressed and probably crazy but I thought if I had something of my own, that no one could take away from me, that I would feel better. I told the clinic, I wanted someone who didn't want to be involved, who wanted no contact." Beth sighed. "What are the chances of this really happening?" Beth laughed between tears.

"You believe it then?"

"It's pretty obvious and I'm wondering how I didn't pick up on it before. This test and that picture just prove it." She motioned to the evidence. "Do you not?"

"I'm just in shock right now," Daryl admitted. They remained silent some more.

"Do you think I was wrong to do what I did?" Beth asked, finally looking back at Daryl.

"No. Wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for your choice. But frankly, I would have gotten a dog," Daryl chuckled. Beth smiled and could feel all her anger dissipate.

"I don't want to tell Chase yet. We should make sure Merle's a hundred percent right first and then we need to figure out a way to explain it to him."

"I don't think he's gonna understand artificial insemination," Daryl joked, which earned a giggle from Beth.

"Maybe we wait till he's older then," Beth replied back, a smile slowly starting to appear on her face. Daryl chuckled and they both knew, that things were going to be okay between them. They still had a lot of things to talk about, but it was reassuring to know that they had each other in this.

"Hell of a first Christmas together," Beth giggled some more and Daryl couldn't help but let a laugh escape from him too. "But hopefully the first of many,"

"We're stuck together forever now," Daryl replied.

They were both exhausted from their day, and with these new revelations they decided to head to bed and figure out things tomorrow. It was gonna be interesting, maybe even challenging, but they were up for it.

As they got under the covers, Beth turned over to look at the door, leaving Daryl to spoon her from behind. There was nothing sexual between them at this moment, it was more just pure pleasure and comfort. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight and she placed her arms over his, placing her own hold on him.

This was love, and regardless of how it happened, or the odds of it happening, they happened. They found each other, when they needed each other most, back when they didn't even know it. A small decision on both their parts, led to the beautiful creation of their son.

Their son.

It would take some getting used to on both their parts, and maybe Chase's when he got a little older. He was sure to have questions and they would make sure they knew the answers beforehand. They were a team now, parents in every sense to this young boy and Daryl knew he didn't want to miss a moment of him growing up now.

He vowed in that moment, that he would protect these two people with all his heart and anyone else who came along. He never saw himself as a father, and knowing how much he loved Chase and how well he seemed to be doing with him, he suddenly hoped that him and Beth would be able to have another baby one day. He wanted to be there from the beginning, watch her stomach grow with his child inside her, and take care of that being right from infancy.

Beth was thinking along the same line, wondering what it would be like to have someone with her, helping her out with her pregnancy and raising of the child. They both dreamed that night, of what their future could hold, knowing that what Daryl said was true.

They were together forever now.

* * *

 **I'll be posting a small epilogue tomorrow.**

 **Thanks for reading and please review.**


	12. Chapter 12

Looking back at my life, I can't say that I had a troubled childhood or made a lot of bad decisions, but it was still interesting none the less.

I was born and raised by a single mother, who did everything she could to raise me right. And as I got older, I just made things harder on her. I was angry at the life she chose and wondered why she couldn't be with my dad. It was always just me and her and sometimes, I needed someone else.

The best thing she ever did for me, was put me in archery lessons. Not only did I learn my talent, but we found a man who completed our family and became the dad I always wanted.

It took them till I was fourteen before they told me that he was my real dad. I get why they waited so long to tell me the truth, but it didn't matter. I think I always I knew he was my dad. I always treated him like he was my dad.

They sat me down and told me everything. What they had done, why they did it, and when they found out. I was more upset it took them seven years to tell me, but I understood. I would have never been able to comprehend the baby making process until I had a few years of health class. I didn't have many questions, like I said, I always treated him like my dad. I already had his name at that point so it was nothing more than them being honest with me

They had gotten married when I was nine. Just a simple courthouse wedding, with a reception afterwards at a diner. Uncle Merle was there and so were some of their close friends. It was small, just like they wanted. Afterwards, they change mine and mom's last names to reflect that of my dad's and my baby sister.

They didn't wait too long to have another baby. By our second Christmas together, mom was already about five months pregnant with Lexi and wore an engagement ring on her finger. I knew they would be perfect together, and they seemed to agree. We were all happy to be a real family finally.

My talent in archery only grew, as me and dad continued to train. I started winning more competitions and with the prize money I was winning, my parents were able to afford a competition trainer. Dad was a great teacher, but even he admitted that I needed to learn more if I wanted to compete on a bigger level. I worked hard at archery, as well as school, as my parents wanted to make sure that I had a good education under my belt. I learned my work ethic from my parents and I understand how hard they worked to give me the opportunities I have today.

Dad was there with me at every competition, every time trial, and he was always my biggest cheerleader. Once Lexi was old enough, mom and her started to come around too. Uncle Merle visited as often as he could, always cheering me on and making sure that I kept my nose out of the bad things in life.

I'm here today because of my parents and what they did for me. They believed in me and put me on the right path, and continue to do so. I'm proud of who I am.

From where I'm standing, I can see them on the sidelines. Mom crying her eyes out; Dad holding onto Lexi's hand as she sings along with the national anthem and Uncle Merle with the biggest smile on his face, that I've ever seen. I made them proud today, winning a Gold Medal in Archery for my country, but I am most proud to be their brother, their nephew and son.

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 **Super short epilogue but I think I said all I needed to. Thanks again for following this story and I'll see you at the next one!**

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